Operation: Avert Crisis
by noa748
Summary: Stop Sephiroth. Save Zack. Defeat Jenova. It all seems impossible; I'm just one person. But if I'm going to be trapped here, thrust into the world of Final Fantasy VII by some forces beyond my control, then I have to at least try. Maybe along the way I'll find a way home. Self-insert.
1. Here We Go Again

**A/N: Oh god. Remember me? Author of Sympathy for the Devil? Yeah, about that...IKILLEDITSOHERESANEWFIC-*shot***

**For those of you who don't know me, I'm this chick who writes too many self-inserts, and that's about all you need to know.**

**Welcome to Operation: Avert Crisis! In which our lovely main character attempts to save Zack Fair (among others). In the process, she'll probably get shot at, beaten up, kidnapped, struck by lightning, drugged, and eaten by a summons. Nothing is off-limits with OC Brit!**

**This is a sort of unofficial sequel to New Reality, another one of my stories. You don't really need to read NR to get what's going on; this isn't a crossover or anything. Just keep in mind that the main character of this story has already been through this whole song and dance of getting sucked into a video game; this is Round Two for her. She knows how to defend herself and use a sword, but she's still only human and she still sometimes kind of fails at life.**

**For those of you who have read NR...yes I'm still writing it and I am most certainly NOT procrastinating right now, nope. Anyway, this story might occur after NR, but the "ending" OC Brit vaguely refers to here IN NO WAY reflects the actual ending of NR.**

**One last note: Before reading this, I suggest you check out _The Fifth Act _by Sinnatious. That story is everything a time-travel fic should be and then some, and I can only dream of matching that level of writing.**

**tl;dr HEY IT'S FFVII LET'S HOP ON IN**

* * *

Rain...

It was raining. Just like that time...

Ages ago...when it all began...

My body was numb with the cold. For a while I laid there in the slick grass, listening to the patter of droplets hitting the ground, my clothes, my face. I didn't want to rouse myself. I was still caught in a dream.

_Is she all right, Professor? That scrape on her forehead..._

I could hear the comforting voice in the back of my mind. The sound of it brought back memories of laughter and tears, pain and happiness and great trials. Friendship, acceptance, nights around a cozy campfire...

_I think she's waking up!_

Finally my eyes slipped open, and I exhaled slowly as the comfort of my warm memories left me. I was alone. Of course I was alone...they were a world away, and had been ever since I left. The rain had reminded me of that day two years ago when my life changed forever.

That day had long since passed...

...but that still didn't explain why I was lying outside in the rain.

Wincing, I finally forced myself to stop musing and sat up. I was shivering and soaking wet...and in the middle of a forest. Again.

The sky was overcast, but it wasn't raining terribly hard. If I squinted, I could see the faint disc of the sun behind the clouds. From its position in the sky, I would guess it to be late afternoon.

Not that knowing the time really helped me at all. I grimaced, reaching into my bag for my phone. The battery, thankfully hadn't died; when I pressed the button on the front of it, the screen lit up. Apparently it was Saturday, May 17th, 4:35 pm. That sounded right.

What didn't sound right was the fact that I had no service. I had woken up alone in the woods with no service and no memory of the last few hours, and things were adding up in a way that I didn't like.

My bag. That was one clue. My purse wasn't with me, just the large weatherproof pack I'd bought form Eastern Mountain Sports after discovering that my bag from Sylvarant had just about had it. If I had my bag, that meant I had been going out for training.

Kerberos was bundled up in a survival blanket and woven through some of the bag's straps and buckles, hidden as well as it could be. If I had been carrying Kerberos, that told me pretty much everything I needed to know.

I closed my eyes, thinking. That was right. I had been going to one of my secluded spots to let loose a little—going through the motions with Kerberos was what kept me sane sometimes. It had only been a couple years since I'd left, but I still had trouble letting go. That was probably why I found my life painfully lacking.

Still, though, this time had just been a quickie. Not one of my crazy weekend trips to New Hampshire, where I'd camp out in the mountains and train for hours on end, losing myself in the sheer exertion. This time I had just been aiming to let off some steam.

Yeah, that was right. Something at work this morning had pissed me off, I remembered now. And then I had gone into the usual downward spiral of the meaninglessness of it all, and what I would be doing five or ten years down the road, and if it would be truly fulfilling or if I would just be playing a part and pretending to be something I wasn't.

I nearly groaned aloud, resisting the urge to flop back down in the grass and lay there.

Ugh. This rain was starting to soak me completely. I was wearing a black tank top and dark grey pants—similar to the base layer of my old Symphonia outfit, but with new materials. These were meant to cling to my form and wick moisture, so they'd dry quickly...but first I had to get somewhere dry. Right now I was losing body heat pretty fast. I wasn't exactly dying yet, but if I was far from civilization, this could be a recipe for disaster.

I shifted, pushing myself up. My knees were a little wobbly, but after a moment some of my strength returned. I unwrapped Kerberos, then reached into my bag and withdrew my old coat and gloves, replacing them with the now-soaked survival blanket.

The extra clothing was dry and helped immensely. I buckled my gloves, stretching, and strapped the sword to my back.

There. All suited up.

I wasn't Brittany the pretend-civilian anymore. This was the real me, for better or worse—scarred mentally and physically, older than my years, with knowledge and skills that did me no good on Earth.

On Earth...

No, I wasn't going to follow _that _train of thought. Of course I was still on Earth. If I started to hope for one second that I was back in their world, it would be crushing to find out otherwise.

Then why had I put on all my gear, anyway? If someone saw me, I'd look like a lunatic, and I'd probably get arrested for carrying such a large weapon in public.

I shook my head. Regardless...there was no service here, so I was far from civilization. When I found civilization, that was when I'd worry about it.

The rain was starting to worsen. I picked a direction and began to walk, hoping for the best.

* * *

This wasn't Earth. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

I had been trying so hard to convince myself it was, and ignoring all of the little hints. Well, my first real hint wasn't exactly subtle. I was attacked by a Malboro.

Out of all the monsters I could have encountered first, it had to be a fucking _Malboro._ My bad luck never failed.

The fight lasted somewhere between an hour and an eternity. All I knew was that the forest was dark by the time the beast fell, and I was exhausted and covered in monster blood. I had started the battle with five panacea bottles, and finished it with half of one left. The effects of poison and various other ailments had left me feeling weak-kneed and dizzy. I was extremely lucky I'd had some medicine on me, or I would have been very dead early on.

When the Malboro fell, its body seemed to deflate; from its maw came one final belch of poisonous gas, and I had to run back and hold my breath until I felt faint.

Malboros were not something found on Earth, I was pretty sure of that.

I was somewhere in Final Fantasy. It didn't matter which one, not right now. What mattered most was the fact that _this was not Earth. _Not only that, it wasn't Sylvarant or Tethe'alla, either. It was someplace I most definitely didn't want to be. Somewhere unfamiliar, with new dangers and no visible way back. While I had grown to hate the monotony of my life on Earth, this wasn't what I had wanted.

Either way, I could be in some serious trouble right now. Was this Malboro habitat? If I encountered another one, I was pretty much screwed.

"What in the...Dean! Get over here!"

A new voice caused me to jump. I turned, seeing a dark haired man enter the trampled clearing. He was decked out in gear similar to mine, complete with gloves and tough looking boots. A sword was strapped to his hip.

In response to the man's call, a new figure entered the clearing, a younger redhead.

"Boss? What—" The redhead paused to gape at the scene behind me.

"There's the bastard we've been tracking," 'Boss' muttered, frowning. His hard gaze fell on me once more. "What I'm wondering is how a scrawny thing like you managed to kill it."

"...Um."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. You look awful, uh...ma'am."

"Hello?" The older man waved a hand in front of my face. "You don't look paralyzed to me, girl."

Slowly, I shook my head, fighting to remember how to speak. "...No. I'm fine. Just...tired."

"I'll bet," Dean replied appreciatively.

Boss frowned. "We've been tracking that Malboro for miles. You know how much trouble it's been causing? A stray Malboro can raise hell if left to its own devices. Lots of travelers killed. You could've been one of 'em."

I was well aware of this, but I chose not to voice my agreement.

Since I didn't speak, he continued. "...But it looks like you got to it before us, in any case. Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"...Brittany," I replied quietly. "I'm...a mercenary."

"A mercenary!" the man guffawed. "Well, isn't that priceless. You attract it by wandering out here and looking helpless?"

I grimaced slightly, attempting to work with my sad backstory. Just...be like Kratos. Nobody had questioned Kratos that much, right? Don't divulge too much information, and sound sure of yourself.

"I wasn't hunting," I finally said. "It's a long story, but me running into it was an unfortunate coincidence. I wasn't really prepared."

"Well, there's a hefty bounty on its head, if you haven't heard," Dean offered.

"We're mercenaries from the Mideel area," Boss replied. "Someone in Banora was about to call in the Shinra cavalry, and if Shinra starts snooping around we'll be out of work for weeks. Not to mention their strategy for solving difficult problems is blowing them up," he added dryly.

An image of a destroyed Banora flashed through my mind, and I got a chill from the truth of his words. Shinra...well, that solved the question as to where I was, anyway.

"You guys take the bounty," I finally said, causing both of their mouths to drop open.

"...You know how much money you're passing up?" Boss asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "Gimme ten percent. That should be enough for food and lodging for a few days, right?"

"More than enough," Dean mumbled.

"Good," I said. "All I ask is that you guys get me to Banora in one piece. I'm kind of worse for wear."

The two stared at me for a few minutes, seeming to size me up. Then Boss let out a sigh.

"All right, then. First off, help me grab some proof of the kill. Then we can get out of here."

* * *

Overall, I felt like I was handling the shock pretty well.

Three days ago I had woken up alone in the woods in the rain, much like I had started out my journey in Sylvarant. But it wasn't the same now. I knew this sort of thing was unlikely but very possible, and I was dealing with it a lot more quickly than I had done so before. I had fighting experience. I had survival skills.

I could do this.

...Right?

Dean and Boss (apparently his name was actually Grant) had departed only a few hours after arriving in Banora, stating that they had business back in Mideel. I just got the feeling that they weren't huge fans of the place, probably because two of Shinra's poster boys had grown up here.

Speaking of which, Banora was still standing, so that said quite a bit as to what sort of timeline I was in. With some money in my pocket, I had set out to gather more information.

And now, three days later, I had pretty much gotten all I was going to get out of the townsfolk. Genesis and Angeal were all grown up, first class SOLDIERs. Shinra was in the midst of the war with Wutai. That meant I was either just before or at the start of Crisis Core—Sephiroth was still sane, Cloud was a shy teenager, and Zack was still alive.

Zack was alive...

That last one tugged at my heartstrings. It was still hard to imagine; I knew Lloyd and the others were real people, and had discovered that they possessed so much depth to their personalities that the game barely came close to doing them justice. What were Zack and Cloud like? Sephiroth? What about Aerith? She was still alive, too...

Zack. He really stuck out in my head. Never mind anything else, but he had always been my hero, cheesy as that sounded. Out of any story ever told, be it novel, movie or video game...Zack topped them all. And he was _here. _Somewhere in this world...

And I could prevent—

NO.

No. Nononono. I had to get away from that train of thought. Because how many times had I tried to prevent things on my previous journey, only to make everything worse? At best, the effort would backfire and kill me.

Besides, it was none of my business. I had just arrived in this world and I wanted to leave just as promptly, because if I stayed that meant I would have to get involved.

Still...

Still, though...

I could save him. Maybe—maybe this time I had the strength. If I was careful—

I shook my head. No...I needed to just focus on getting home. End of story.

* * *

Days passed. I fixed myself up and bought fresh supplies, including a pair of bracers with built in materia slots, and a Restore materia that I had no idea how to use. Then I headed west to Mideel after hearing there was a small port near there.

The monsters around here weren't terribly tough (other than that damn Malboro, anyway), but it was still disconcerting to see different types I wasn't used to. It had been a long time since I played FFVII, so I couldn't exactly prepare myself for their attacks. All I knew was that I should run the fuck away if I ever saw a Tonberry.

Still, I handled myself fairly well. I picked up a few monster tusks and teeth along the way, having learned which ones might be valuable while I was in Banora.

I combined the leftover money from the Malboro bounty with the money I got from selling the raw materials, and managed to scrounge together enough for a boat ticket to Junon.

I had a hard time remembering the geography of this place, but the world map I had picked up in Banora showed that Junon was on the same continent as Midgar and Kalm. I hadn't really been sure if I wanted to go in that direction, but that was the only route the boats were traveling. Everywhere else was too far.

If I could go anywhere, I would prefer Cosmo Canyon—that was where they studied the Planet and the stars, right? That was the only place I could think of to get answers. Bugenhagen might be able to shed some light on my situation.

But going to Cosmo Canyon would involve first getting a ship from Junon to Costa Del Sol, and then getting from there all the way to the southern end of the continent, which also included going through the mountains. That could take weeks, even months...and I didn't know enough about this world yet to take on a haul like that. What if there was some kind of roadblock I didn't know about?

I didn't know what to do, and I was going to have to stop at Junon either way, so I made the week-long trip there.

And here I was. This was week two of my Final Fantasy adventure, and I was still pretty much at square one as to how I was going to get home. The tickets to Costa Del Sol were way above my current budget, so that option was out.

I considered Kalm, but then I realized that the only route I knew to the other side of the mountains was the pass through the Mythril Mines—and what was on the other side of those? That marsh with the goddamn Midgar Zolom. Unless I somehow found a Chocobo to outrun it with, I would become lunch if I tried heading that way.

So for the time being, I was stuck in Junon.

...I was not a huge fan of Junon.

Granted, the sprawling city itself was attractive enough. The streets were very clean, the buildings looked nice, and the shop fronts, restaurants and residences were all interesting to look at. It was very reminiscent of the cities I had seen back home.

But I couldn't exactly ignore the looming figure of the Sister Ray, the passing of military aircraft overhead, or the fact that this whole thing was built over a suffering fishing village.

Not to mention, the constant presence of Shinra infantry troops was kind of intimidating. The company's emblem was everywhere. I was honestly considering going down to the village below, if only to get away from it all. At least I'd be around some people that shared my hatred for the corporation.

"Hey! You!"

Uh-oh.

I turned around, only to see an infantry troop coming right for me. He was wearing a red scarf around his neck, which I was pretty sure meant he was a captain. Great.

He frowned at me. "This is a secure city. Only Shinra personnel are permitted to carry weapons."

"Ah, I see," I replied hesitantly, trying not to betray my nervousness. "I just got off my ship—I'll find lodgings and put it away immediately."

"See to it that you do so," he replied, his frown growing. "...What is your business here, traveler? Your identification, please." When he held out a hand, I felt my heart lodge in my throat.

Oh, crap. He wanted papers. I didn't have any ID.

"Uh..."

"No identification? Suspicious..." Now he was wearing an outright scowl. "I'll have to ask you to turn over your weapon and come with me."

_Shiiiit!_ The last thing I needed was an interrogation from Shinra!

Okay, okay, just be calm, act rationally, Brittany, and—

_FUCKING RUN!_

Abandoning any intelligent train of thought, I turned tail and booked it, inviting a loud shout from the soldier.

There was the sound of pursuing footsteps—several others had given chase, too—as I ran into an alley. Luckily, Junon had a lot of intersecting alleyways, and it was these I took advantage of in my effort to escape. I just had to lose them for a little while—maybe then I could jump off the elevated upper city and into the ocean. If I could just get below, maybe I could take shelter in the village.

The place was a maze. I paused at one point to bundle my sword up so I wouldn't attract any more attention; then I ripped my coat and gloves off, shoving them in my bag so that no one could use them to identify me. I ducked in through a few shops, taking advantage of their multiple entrances to navigate the city without being out in the open.

After what felt like forever, I had the sense that I had lost them. I looked over my shoulder as I jogged down a particularly long alleyway, checking to see if I had any pursuers. The place looked clear.

Until I smashed right in to something, causing me to yelp out in pain and fall immediately on my ass.

"Ugh!"

A masculine grunt put me on the alert, and I tensed, my eyes snapping open. Apparently the something I had smashed into was another person, and he was currently also on his ass, sporting a pained grimace and gripping his shoulder.

Carefully styled auburn hair, long red coat, sword at the waist...

...Apparently the something I had smashed into was Genesis Rhapsodos.

Oh, okay.

…

...How the hell could this day get any worse?!

"You fool...!" Genesis had gotten to his knees, sending me a piercing glare. It only lasted a few seconds, though, because in the next instant he had let out a pained cry and doubled over. He was still clutching his shoulder, breathing heavily.

My heart skipped a beat. He was in pain...? The degradation...I must've hit his wound, his weak spot. This looked really bad. He was shaking all over.

"Damn...not now..." I heard him growl, but his efforts to regain his bearings were in vain.

The smart thing to do right now would be to get up and get the hell out of here while the SOLDIER was down. The last thing I needed was to get involved with someone who would eventually desert Shinra and wreak havoc all over the place.

There. Now that I had acknowledged the logical decision, it was time to do the complete opposite. I just sat there and stared at him like a deer in headlights.

Genesis. The person, not the character. A failed Shinra experiment, doomed to suffer degradation—unable to effectively generate new cells, he would retain even the smallest of injuries until eventually his body deteriorated to the point of killing him. He had been doomed to this fate from birth.

...Now that I had time to think about it, it was hard not to feel bad for him. Not that he'd want my pity.

He wasn't going anywhere. Honestly, it looked like he was on the verge of passing out, and I needed to either do something or get the hell out of here. If one of those infantrymen from earlier came upon this scene, I'd be taken in for more than just questioning.

Dammit...wasn't there something I could do? It was bad enough that I was going to ignore Zack's plight—couldn't I at least help someone, change _something?_ Maybe that one push would be all it took to change the course of things. It would be better than just leaving and knowing I had done nothing, even though I had been given the chance.

But I didn't know anything about degradation. There was no known cure in this world...Genesis was going to drive himself just about crazy searching for it. If only Raine were here...she could have done something. If she could save people from the Exbelua transformation, she could find a way to save Genesis—

Hold on.

_...I'm sorry. I've never been very good at farewells._

_It's okay, Professor. I'm...I'm not exactly the best either. Heh, I keep telling myself I won't cry, but it always turns into some kinda weepathon. I think I made Kratos uncomfortable._

_Haha...I'm sure. Well, I won't draw this out too much longer, then. There's something I'd like you to have..._

_Huh? Is that...?!_

_Yes. It seems to have lost its power...I believe we may have called upon it one too many times. As it has served its purpose, I would like you to hold on to it. Think of it as a token of the time we all spent together._

_Professor...thank you. I'll treasure it._

I reached into my bag, pulling out the unicorn horn, and stared at it with amazement. Ever since I'd received it from Raine two years ago, it had been dull beige in color and smooth to the touch, looking like nothing more than an auger shell at first glance. But now it suddenly had regained its pearly luster, looking exactly the way it had the day Colette and Sheena had retrieved it at Lake Umacy.

Was there some power left to it after all?

I didn't know a damn thing about healing and all I had managed up until now were pretty pathetic Cure spells, but I was going to give it a try.

Genesis was still doubled over. I took the unicorn horn, glowing and warm to the touch, and pressed it gently to his wounded shoulder. He tensed, freezing up, and growled something that sounded like a threat. I took a deep breath and focused my energy into the healing materia and the horn.

I had no clue what I was supposed to do, what it was like to really heal someone. Instead, I just thought about I wanted to accomplish and wished really, _really _hard.

_Help him. HELP HIM, dammit!_

A few moments passed. I could hear the pounding of my suddenly racing heart.

There was a flash of light and intense heat, and suddenly I felt weak. Something gave slightly beneath my hand, the one clutching Genesis' shoulder. I pulled it back, only to discover that the unicorn horn had snapped in half. I stared at it in disbelief.

Well, there we have it. Brittany finds a way to fuck things up even more...again. How the hell did I manage to actually _break _it?

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, clutching the pieces of the horn until the edges dug into my palm. I gritted my teeth, staring at the ground. Maybe I should've just followed my initial instinct and booked it.

"Impossible..."

Huh? He was still capable of speech? I had been pretty sure he would've passed out by now.

Reluctantly, I glanced up...only to see that Genesis was no longer doubled over. He was staring at his hands, his eyes wide. Then he reached over to his wounded shoulder and began to claw at it, pulling off his coat and then layers of his armor until bare flesh was exposed.

...That was it. Just bare, clean, healthy flesh. Not even a scar.

For a moment, I had to stare at it in surprise as well. When I determined that I wasn't in fact hallucinating, I finally let myself relax, and I let out the breath I had been holding in a sigh of relief. I had really pulled it off? The healing magic must've exhausted the last of the horn's power.

"The degra—it's gone...so it worked after all."

This caused Genesis to look up, his eyes meeting mine. There was a moment of silence where we both stared each other down, and I realized I hadn't disguised my slip very well.

"What—"

I just shrugged, getting to my feet and holding up the unicorn horn by way of explanation, though I didn't know if unicorns even existed here. "A gift from an old friend. I didn't know if it'd really do anything, to be honest." I was trying my hardest to seem casual. The truth was, I was nearly shaking from the effects of a fresh adrenaline rush, and being in this man's presence wasn't exactly helping me calm down.

The SOLDIER seemed to mull over this for a moment, fiddling distractedly with his armor and straightening his clothing out to its former glory. He seemed like he was still in shock. I wondered briefly how long he'd been living with the condition before this.

Then I realized that I was wasting time. If I lingered, Genesis would want to know more, and I had already decided that I wasn't going to involve myself further. Besides, he had caught that degradation comment, and that was pretty much going to plant the seed for a later interrogation anyway.

Time to fall back on the old Kratos strategy. What would he do in this situation? Make some cool, mysterious comment, and then vanish from Genesis' life forever. Let things unfold as they may—it wasn't my problem anymore.

I cleared my throat. "...Well, my job's done here," I said cheerily, as if I had intended this whole incident to happen from the beginning. "Take care of yourself, Genesis."

Then I began to walk away, mentally patting myself on the back. There! That wasn't so hard, was it?

"Who are you? Tell me your name."

Against my better judgment, I paused and looked over my shoulder. Genesis had gotten to his feet, now looking calm and composed and healthy as ever.

"Brittany," I told him, seeing no harm in giving out my first name.

"Well, Brittany, I am in your debt," he said, lowering his torso in a graceful sweeping bow.

I was so surprised by the gesture that I temporarily forgot about my intentions to leave; on one hand, the gesture seemed very like Genesis, while on the other, I wasn't used to seeing him do anything friendly. He had spent most of Crisis Core reciting poetry and stabbing things.

"If there is anything I might do to repay—"

"There she is!"

My head snapped up and I looked behind me, seeing shadows at the end of the alleyway. "Oh, crap."

Genesis' face clouded with confusion. I turned to him, hearing the sound of my pursuers already drawing closer.

"Uh, you don't know where I went!" I said, panicking, and bolted.

Back into the maze of the city I went, and the sound of footsteps behind me eventually faded to nothing. And that was the end of my encounter with Genesis Rhapsodos, SOLDIER first class.

* * *

**A/N: More to come!**

**All reviewers will receive a copy of LOVELESS (and a copy of Genesis that will recite it all day long)! WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT IN LIFE**

**Next time: Suicide mission. Kunsel. The clandestine dark suits.**


	2. Escort Mission

**A/N: Hey guys. :D Was going to do this weekly, but this time I updated a little early because...well, everyone's positive reaction to last chapter was just unexpected and awesome. XD Whether you've read NR/know me or have never seen a story from me before, thanks for coming along for the ride.**_  
_

**Here's a quick glossary for my non-NR readers so no one gets confused:**

**_Kerberos: _OC Brit's sword. It's a large two-handed blade, close in size with the regulation SOLDIER swords.  
**

**_Exsphere: _A small gem that increases the user's strength and resilience when attached to the body. If not used with a special Key Crest to inhibit its effects, though, it could turn the user into a monster. In the same way Materia is fashioned from the life force of the Planet, Exspheres are fashioned from the life force of human beings. The protagonists of Tales of Symphonia use them to keep the playing field level with their enemies, who create the stones.  
**

**Can't think of anything else for right now, but I hope that helps. XD Anyway, let's get on with this! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_Can't believe I'm doing this...can't believe I'm doing this...am I really doing this? Yep, I'm an idiot._

This was my general train of thought as I made my way through the Mythril Mine two days later. With Shinra infantry on my tail in upper Junon, it hadn't taken long for me to realize that I had to get out. The lower village turned out not to be an option; it was harder to get down there than just simply jumping into the ocean, I had discovered.

I had gone around the city, avoiding guards and attempting to scope out a good jumping point, but all of the spots I found were too far out over the ocean. I'd get swept out by the tide. Not only that, the water around here was polluted; I remembered that after taking a look at lower Junon's murky shores from above. Every route to the village below was guarded, and it was starting to look like I was at the end of my rope.

Then, of course, I had a stroke of luck...that wasn't exactly a stroke of luck, considering my current predicament.

After a day of running around the city, I had managed to find an out-of-the-way bar that wasn't a hub for Shinra troops. I sat down for a drink and asked the owner about affordable places to stay nearby, and he offered me the free room he had on the second floor of the building.

With a place to sleep secured, I stayed down in the bar for a few more drinks, sitting alone but keeping my ears open. Places like this were great for gathering information; alcohol always loosened people's lips. I might even be able to find out if the infantry had issued some kind of warrant for arrest, or if they had given up and forgotten about me.

...Since I had bolted right in front of Genesis-fuckin-Rhapsodos, somehow I doubted that.

Either way, I was sitting quietly, minding my own business, when an unfamiliar voice interrupted my train of thought.

"...Excuse me, miss."

I looked up, raising my eyebrows slightly to the newcomer. He was wearing a clean white shirt with a black tie, and his dark hair was slicked back. A little too dressed up for these circumstances—back from a long workday?—but nothing extremely out of the ordinary.

"Yes?" I asked neutrally.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I couldn't help but notice your sword..."

My back went ramrod straight before he could even finish his sentence. I immediately tried to cover up my alarm, but I had the feeling it was too late. His expression told me I was right. But he just shook his head.

"Don't worry about that, I don't have any intention of reporting you. I'm looking for bodyguards—mercenaries, actually."

I frowned, hesitant. "...Well, you found one. What's the job?"

Relief flooded his features. "Good, good. I've hired two others, but I'm one short. My name is Trent Cavanaugh. I'm a businessman from Midgar. I came here under Shinra's protection with my wife in order to meet a few associates; I'm scheduled to return tomorrow." His face took on a troubled expression. "However, something seems to have come up. My acquaintances at Shinra won't tell me anything but that the airship I was going to board is now unavailable. I fear it has been put to use in the Wutai effort."

"I was told I would be able to return by next week," he continued, "but unfortunately I have a meeting I absolutely must attend on Friday. Rather than waiting for a ship, I've decided to make the trek on foot."

"All the way to Midgar?" I raised my eyebrows.

He shook his head. "Shinra has offered to send a vehicle to meet me halfway, in the grasslands. I just need a group to accompany me through the Mythril Mine."

"And the marshes?" I asked immediately, noting how he conveniently left _that _part out.

The businessman just smiled. "No worries there. I have Chocobos for the journey."

"So let me get this straight," I said slowly. "You just need a bodyguard for you and your wife, and I need to accompany you to the grasslands area past the marsh, where your Shinra convoy or whatever will be. And there are two other mercenaries in our group. Yes?"

Trent nodded. "That's correct. From that point, we can part ways, or you can come with me as far as the city if you should choose."

"Hmmm..."

"Of course, I'll pay you handsomely," he said smoothly as I deliberated. "The first 5,000 gil will be a down payment for you to do with as you please. You can have the other 25,000 when the job is complete."

I nearly choked on my beer. Thirty-thousand gil?! That was double the Malboro bounty! All that for a single escort mission?

"I'm a bit desperate, as you can see," Trent admitted. "Not many are keen on going near the marshes, Chocobo or no. So I suppose it's a matter of whether or not you think you can handle it."

In my head, it was already a done deal. I forced myself to stop and try to think it through, but faced with that pay, it was hard not to jump on the opportunity. I _needed _someone to get me out of Junon. This was the perfect opportunity! And I could use the money. Maybe I could get someone to forge me an ID if I paid enough, and then I would also have the funds to get wherever I needed to go.

For obvious reasons, I agreed to the job. And now here I was, walking down a rocky path in the mine with Trent, his wife, and two other mercenaries in tow.

Though it was an abandoned mine, it wasn't completely dark. Some lights lining the walls still seemed to be working, though they were dim. I had to wonder how they could still be functioning.

I was heading our little group; the two other mercenaries brought up the rear. Speaking of said mercenaries...remember Dean and Boss, aka Grant? Well, they had gone on a trip to Junon themselves looking for work, and this adventure was one big happy reunion.

...Well, kind of. Anyway, Grant was the whole reason I had been approached by Trent in the first place. Normally, I wouldn't strike anyone as a fighter, but apparently killing a Malboro kind of helped my mercenary image.

Either way, I was glad to be familiar with the other people I was traveling with. Regardless, this time around I preferred to lead, just because I was the one with the Exsphere—though obviously they didn't know anything about that. I just wasn't sure how strong these two actually were.

"What is this place, anyway?" Dean piped up.

When the redhead received a few strange looks for the question, Grant jumped to his defense. "This is the first time the kid's been further than Junon."

"This is the Mythril Mine, upon which much of Kalm's economy is based," Trent's wife offered.

The businessman nodded. "Until recently, anyway. Increased monster activity around the mines has prevented the miners from returning here. The Midgar Zolom population hasn't been kept in check—now, it's much too dangerous to cross the marshes on foot, and unfortunately mining equipment can't be carried using Chocobos."

I turned to glance at the bird I was leading along. We had to move slowly to accommodate for the creatures, since the birds weren't used to traversing this sort of terrain. Each one of us was leading a Chocobo by the reins to use once we got to the marsh. I had privately named mine Cloud, just because I could.

"Can't Shinra do something about it?" Dean asked with a frown. It was clear that he still wasn't a big fan of the company—neither was Grant, for that matter—but like me, they were also willing to do a mission like this if they could make a large sum off of it.

Trent sighed. "The entire reason why the population has gotten out of control is because Shinra has stopped controlling it."

"The war with Wutai," Grant offered.

"That's right. The army is stretched too thin at the moment. I doubt they have the resources to dispatch troops for a monster hunt."

"I guess that makes sense," I murmured, even though it didn't...not to me. Shinra was so obsessed with money and power that they were forgetting to protect the investments they already had. Letting the people of Kalm suffer just so they could send troops overseas to fight a pointless war that they had initiated in the first place...ugh.

Just another reason to hate Shinra, I guess. I'd add it to the list.

After a few hours of walking, we finally seemed to reach the other end to the mines. A light at the end of the tunnel revealed a wide, grassy plain. We came out on to the grass, letting our eyes adjust to the sudden light.

"Well done so far," Trent said cheerily. We had only encountered a few monsters in the mines, and had killed them off swiftly. Things were going well so far—those monsters hadn't been a problem at all.

Now came the hard part.

The grass only extended to a certain point; I could see, further ahead, where it grew wetter and wetter until it was all submerged in water. From there on out, there were patches of land and shallow water as far as I could see. The marsh had to extend for at least a couple of miles in every direction. Crossing this wouldn't be a quick three-second dash, like in the game.

We all got on our Chocobos—I had made sure to teach myself how to mount and dismount before heading out on this trip—and we turned back towards the marsh. The clouds overhead were beginning to darken, making the entire scene rather ominous.

"I've done this before," Trent said. "It should take just under an hour to cross. Everyone, just stay in formation, and don't stop for any reason. With that said, if something _does _happen..."

"We'll take care of it," Grant grunted. "You just keep on going."

"Very well," he said, pleased. "Is everyone ready?"

"Ready as I'm gonna get," I replied, and Dean nodded his assent as well.

And so, we set off.

* * *

It had been a tense forty minutes. The marshes were wide open, which under normal circumstances would comfort me; there weren't many places for monsters to hide, after all. But then I considered the water, and wondered when I'd see it ripple with movement. There was one here somewhere...

Chocobos were best for traversing this marsh not only because they were able to evade attacks better, but because their fleet-footedness helped conceal their presence. They didn't slosh around in the water as much as humans would, thereby decreasing the risk of being discovered. They also seemed better able to sense danger, because whenever we were about to be attacked in the mines, the birds had started voicing their discomfort well in advance.

I knew it had been almost an hour, and I was sure I could see the end of the marsh from here now. Unfortunately, it had started raining about fifteen minutes into our trip across the marsh, and now the rain was coming down so hard it was tough to tell whether or not the end was really in sight. Worse, the depth of the marsh water had increased, bogging us down.

...Come to think of it, the heavy rain was probably extending the marsh, increasing the range of the—

"Wark!"

Fuck. That was Cloud, and his head had just jerked to the right, looking at something. Then he started running a little faster.

"Uh, guys—" It was hard to hear over the downpour, but it looked like everyone else had noticed the large, dark shadow following us just beneath the water.

_"Dean!" _Grant yelled. "Move left! _To the left!"_

I realized with horror that the monster was just behind the redhead, but it was too late. The snake's head emerged above the water and I caught a glimpse of deep red eyes. Then it shot forward, its mouth opening wide. Dean screamed and launched himself from his bird, falling into the shallows with a splash.

The Chocobo shrieked, immediately caught in the snake's jaws. The Zolom tossed its head and swallowed the bird whole in a flurry of blood and yellow feathers. I felt sick.

We had stopped for Dean's sake; Grant got off his own bird, yanking the teen to his feet and away from the snake. I knew what strategy we had agreed on, so even though I wanted to puke, I dismounted my own bird and gestured for Trent and his wife to continue on. They stared back at us in alarm, but didn't hesitate to dash on ahead.

"Shit," Grant growled, paling as the Midgar Zolom reared up out of the water, revealing its full height.

The snake was _huge. _We were dwarfed—it had to be at least thirty feet tall reared up like this. I couldn't imagine what its full length was, as the rest of its tail was still concealed underwater.

Since we had dismounted our birds, they understandably decided not to stick around. It wasn't long before our only means of escape was gone, and we were left to face the Zolom or die.

...This was what I had been afraid of. The worst-case scenario. Screw Murphy's Law—I was starting to think I should rename it Brittany's Law.

Grant sent a powerful looking Ice spell at the snake, and it seemed to just shrug it off. I drew out Kerberos and prepared for the worst. The rain continued to pelt us.

"What do we do, boss?!" Dean yelled, panicked.

"This is bad," Grant said, keeping a defensive stance. "Only SOLDIER can kill these things. We're way out of our league."

As if to show its agreement, the Zolom tensed and then shot forward, striking out at the older mercenary. He dove out of the way just in time, and the snake got a mouthful of murky water. Knowing there was nothing else I could do, I took the opportunity to run forward and attempt an attack.

Kerberos glanced off the scales, not even so much as scratching them. They were too tough to simply break through, and there didn't seem to be any visible gaps or weak spots between them. Damn...

The snake submerged itself again, moving underwater with a speed that was alarming considering its size. It circled around me, and I dove over it in order to avoid being caught in its coil. The Zolom retaliated by whipping its tail around, catching Grant off guard and sending him flying. He landed in the water twenty feet away with a huge splash.

"Boss!" Dean cried, running to his aid.

Blood red eyes focused on the teen, and I understood the monster's intentions now that the boy's back was turned. I yelled as loud as I could, finding the end of the snake's tail and bringing my sword down on it with all my strength.

Apparently I'd found a weak spot, because a small chunk of the tail was sliced right off—not enough to actually harm the snake, but enough to really, really piss it off.

The Midgar Zolom whipped around to face me, opening its mouth and hissing, revealing a pair of very long and deadly fangs.

"Hey, you there! Back off real quick!"

A new voice caught my attention. The snake turned to investigate the newcomer as well, buying me some time to do as he said.

I caught a glimpse of a purple uniform, and then a green flash dominated my vision. The snake let out another hiss, writhing in pain. Was that...Bio? I turned my head, attempting to find the caster.

"Are you all right?"

He had come up beside me. I looked over, raising my eyebrows. That helmet and that uniform...no way. This was a SOLDIER—second class, to be more precise. Why was such an elite fighter all the way out here? Well, it was lucky for me, at least. Maybe the situation wasn't as bleak as I'd initially thought.

"I'm fine," I answered when I realized he had asked me a question.

He nodded, offering a quick smile. "SOLDIER second class Kunsel, at your service. Mr. Cavanaugh sent me."

I sighed with relief. Kunsel! Someone I could trust!

"I see," I replied. "I'm Brittany Furness, a mercenary. How exactly do you plan to kill this thing?"

Kunsel turned his head back to the snake, which was recovering fast. "Not sure. I've never fought a Zolom before, only read about them." He frowned. "I do hear they have a pretty nasty attack called Beta that they use when cornered, so we'll have to kill it quick once it's weakened."

"Right," I said, more confident now that I had a strong fighter beside me. I turned to Dean, who was pulling his companion from the water. "Dean! Take Grant and get out of here!"

"Mr. Cavanaugh is waiting at the edge of the marsh with a Shinra-issued vehicle," Kunsel called. "Go there. We have a medic on board, he'll take care of you."

The redhead nodded, helping a semi-conscious Grant to his feet and beginning to run in the direction of the marsh's edge. The snake saw the two fleeing men and reared back slightly, preparing to strike.

Kunsel saw this and ran forward, leaping into the air. He timed his jump perfectly, meeting the Zolom in the split second it was in mid-strike. He swung his sword, hitting the snake's neck with the flat of the blade. The brute force was enough to knock the beast off course, even sending it tumbling back into the water. The SOLDIER landed with a splash, but was knocked back by the writhing of the snake's tail.

I scowled, fighting to think. Blades weren't enough to pierce the snake's scales, so close-range combat wasn't a great idea. Kunsel's Bio spell seemed to have had an effect, though. Maybe if he had some higher-level materia, he would be able to do some decent damage? I'd have to be the meat shield once again, then. If nothing else, I could be a distraction so that my stronger ally could cast.

"Kunsel!" I called. He picked himself up from the water, and then nodded in my direction to show he was listening. I glanced to make sure the snake hadn't recovered, and then looked back over at him. "Got any strong materia on you?"

"Poison and Fire are the strongest I've got," he told me. "But I have a low-level Lightning and some support materia as well. Why?"

"Fire away!" I yelled, running at the snake as it lifted its head. "I'll distract it, just let me know when you're gonna attack!"

I heard Kunsel make a noise of protest, but then he just yelled "Be careful!"

When the Zolom drew to its full height again, part of me wondered how I could be such an idiot. Every time I had taken on this thing in the beginning of the game, my party had been completely annihilated. One bite was enough to kill, I remembered that much. I couldn't get hit.

The snake hissed and tensed, and I dove to the right and rolled just as it shot forward. Water splashed everywhere—at this point, we were all completely drenched. The rain was relentless. I wiped at the hair plastered to my forehead and ran forward once more. The Zolom swung its tail beneath the water and I jumped, just barely avoiding it.

"Incoming!" That was Kunsel.

I leapt backwards just as a large ball of flame crashed into the monster. It let out a loud growl, swinging its head left to right in pain. Angered, it spotted the SOLDIER and lunged, only to have its opponent dodge out of the way.

Magic was definitely the way to go, though Kunsel looked miffed. It occurred to me that his high-level Fire materia wasn't working as well as he'd hoped in this storm. The snake recovered quickly, its attention now focused on my ally.

Damn...if there was some way I could get to its eyes, I could at least blind it and make this a hell of a lot easier.

Just as the Zolom struck again, flattening its body and submerging itself in the water, I had an idea. Leaping on to its tail, I began to run at full speed up the length of the snake's body, my heart hammering in my chest. It started rearing up and I had to fight to keep my balance.

I reached its head just as it was rising into the air. My fear of heights kicked in and I wobbled, trying to search for its eyes without focusing on how far below the ground was.

There! I spotted one eye and adjusted my grip on Kerberos before thrusting it downward. The monster let out a terrible screech as the blade pierced its right eye, blood and fluid leaking out and down its scales. I attempted to brace myself and plant my feet, but nothing prepared me for what was about to happen. It turned its head and with one powerful jolt, sent me flying high into the air.

My stomach tied itself in knots at the sudden feeling of weightlessness and the world spinning around me. I was too shocked to scream, but I did remember myself enough to keep my sword in a deathgrip, holding it out and away from me. Then I was underwater.

I flailed around for a minute before I found my footing, and pushed myself above again. The water was waist-deep where I was standing—not good for quick movements. I needed to get to the shallows—

"Brittany! _Look out!_" That was Kunsel. My head shot up.

The Midgar Zolom was right in front of me, reared up and staring down at me with its one good eye. It opened its mouth wide, fangs in plain sight. I felt the blood drain from my face when I saw that it was already tensed, and I knew that the split-second I had left wouldn't be nearly enough to dodge. If I moved in any direction, I would just get bitten in half rather than swallowed whole.

I held Kerberos up in shaky hands. "Guardian."

The beast lunged, and I jumped. There was a pale green flash from my tech, and then the world went black.

When my feet touched down again, it was on an unstable, moist surface. I drove the tip of my blade into the soft tissue beneath me to give myself something stable to hold on to, and was jostled around as a result.

I was inside the snake's mouth. It was pitch dark in here and stifling hot.

_Just don't get swallowed. Don't get swallowed..._

I couldn't breathe. There was precious little air in here, and the Zolom's jaws were clamped shut. What could I do? If Kunsel attacked, I might get hurt too, and for all he knew I was dead.

Claustrophobia set in. I had to stand nearly doubled over in order to avoid being crushed. I had to get out. How could I get out? How could I—

I considered the flesh below me, how easily the sword had lodged in it. The inside of the beast wasn't protected with scales.

Coming to a decision, I braced my feet against the teeth on either side of the snake's jaw, my back against the roof of its mouth. Then I pulled Kerberos out and shifted my grip so that the tip of the blade pointed upwards.

Then I squeezed my eyes shut, called upon the last reserves of my strength, and thrust upwards as hard as I could.

At first there was a feeling of resistance, but then Kerberos punched through and slid in easily right up to the hilt. Suddenly a high-pitched shriek stabbed at my ears, and I realized it was coming from the Zolom; then I was jostled left and right and forced to hang on for my life. Finally there was one last crushing impact, and I lost my grip and fell to the bottom of the monster's mouth.

The world was still, the wind knocked from me. I began to feel faint from lack of oxygen, and knew I wouldn't have the strength to escape.

A few seconds passed, impossibly long. Then there was the feeling of something shifting, and a crack of light fell on my face. I squinted, seeing the crack widen, and cool air rushed in. I gasped, flooding my lungs with the air they so desperately needed.

There was a grunt, and I saw a boot pressing down on the Zolom's bottom jaw. Then the jaws were forced apart, revealing the figure of Kunsel.

"...You all right?" He asked, grimacing slightly with the effort.

I responded by coughing hard and then taking in another breath of fresh air. My strength returning, I wasted no time in clambering to my knees, retrieving Kerberos, and launching myself out of the snake's mouth and into the water with a large splash.

When I surfaced, it was to a gloved hand being held out to me. I took it, letting the SOLDIER pull me to my feet.

"Thanks," I managed to croak.

Without another word, we both turned to look at the fallen snake. The water around its head was beginning to turn crimson with blood. From here it was easy to see the red hole at the top of its skull where Kerberos had punched all the way through. In my moment of desperation I had punctured the Zolom's brain, killing it instantly.

Now that it was still, I had time to see the full length of its body submerged in the water. It was easily a hundred feet long. Even now, I half expected it to revive itself and attack once more. It was hard to believe that such a massive creature could've been killed...especially by me. Had I really done that? I guess for all the bad stuff being thrown my way, I had to get lucky once in a while to make up for it. The thought was strangely comforting, until I realized that I was probably going to get slapped with some horrible new dilemma now that I'd resolved this one.

"It's dead, all right..." Kunsel murmured, shaking his head. "That has to be the craziest thing I've ever seen. How the hell did you _survive _that?"

"...I've been told I have the tenacity of a cockroach," I replied slowly, my expression going a bit sour. Yuan had been the one kind enough to inform me of this trait.

"Well, I'm impressed," he said with a smile. "That was some quick thinking. You're pretty strong for someone who's not in SOLDIER."

"I guess," I mumbled, embarrassed by the praise. I knew I wasn't a bad fighter, but I was also sure that a lot of my advantage came from the Exsphere's strength. Otherwise I probably would've died a thousand times by now.

"Anyway, shouldn't we get going?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

His smile fell. "Yeah, you're right. The other Zoloms in this marsh might have been drawn by the commotion." Kunsel began to walk. "Follow me; the others should be waiting up ahead."

I nodded. "All right."

* * *

The ride up through the grasslands was a little bumpier than I would've liked. Because of the heavy rains, parts of the dirt road had been washed away enough to expose rocks. It'd be another hour before we reached a highway, and then it was all smooth sailing from there. I hadn't even realized there _were _highways running through the continent. Maybe it was silly of me, but I had always pictured Midgar as being the only place around here with that sort of thing. I guess it'd be kind of hard to get around the world using only helicopters and airships...

Either way, we were all buckled in to a large black van with the Shinra insignia on the side, heading northwest in the direction of Midgar. I had requested to be let off near Kalm, as I had no interest in going near the corrupt city.

Trent and his wife were perfectly fine, and it looked like Dean had made it out of the battle unscathed. Grant was still conscious, but he had a few broken ribs. The medic on board was tending to him with a Cure spell, and he seemed to be doing okay for the time being.

I had to try very hard to keep my face set in a neutral expression, distracting myself by rubbing my hair dry with a towel I had been given. I was glad to be safe and out of the rain, but at the same time...

"Chocobos through the marsh?" Reno guffawed from the front passenger seat. "Man, that's one lunatic stunt. No wonder we had to bring a SOLDIER out here. You do this kind of stuff all the time?"

Trent grimaced slightly. "...I'll admit, I underestimated the power of that creature. I had heard Midgar Zoloms were large, but..."

"It _was _bigger than even I had expected," Kunsel admitted.

I chewed on my lower lip, only half keeping track of the conversation. I was a little more consumed by the fact that _Reno _was in the passenger seat. Worse, Rude was driving. Why the _hell _were there Turks here? A pair of Turks and a SOLDIER...call me crazy, but that seemed a bit overkill for a regular businessman. Who was Trent Cavanaugh, really?

"So you're a SOLDIER, right?" Dean asked curiously. "How did you manage to kill it?"

"Don't look at me," he said with a smile.

That caused the redhead's eyes to go wide, and he turned to me. "...Brittany?"

Reno rolled his eyes. "Quit yankin' my chain. There's no way a normal person could kill one of those things."

"It's the truth," Kunsel insisted. Then he related the details of our battle, telling of how the snake had tried to swallow me, only to get my sword thrust through the roof of its mouth. "You can go back and check the carcass if you don't believe me," he added.

"That's impressive," Trent said thoughtfully. "But then again, that's the entire reason I hired her for the job. As I recall, Grant here was telling me how she singlehandedly killed a Malboro near Banora."

"A Malboro too, huh?" Kunsel chuckled. "You're full of surprises. I guess looks really are deceiving."

"Heh." Grant snorted. "Looks...she _looks _like she'd blow away in a strong wind. No brawn at all."

"Gee, thanks," I mumbled.

Reno exchanged a quick glance with Rude, and then stared at me with interest. "So the story's true, then, huh? You killed a Midgar Zolom."

"...It's the truth," I said with a shrug. It wasn't like I could deny it in front of everyone after all that, but I still didn't like the way he was looking at me.

He turned around slightly in his seat. "Your name's Brittany, right? You're a mercenary?"

"That's right."

The Turk smirked. "Name's Reno. Department of General Affairs, Investigation Sector."

"Department of General Affairs?" Grant grunted. "Aren't you guys responsible for scouting out potential SOLDIER recruits?"

"Among other things," Reno replied blithely, then turned back to me. "Killing a Midgar Zolom's no joke, yo. I've seen full-fledged SOLDIERs taken out by those things before."

To my left, I saw Kunsel nod a silent confirmation of this fact.

I fought the urge to squirm uncomfortably. "It was a stroke of luck. I didn't _plan _to get nearly swallowed, I'm not that gutsy."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. I know where your abilities could be put to better use," he said, smiling wryly. "How'd you like to work for Shinra?"

There it was, the million-dollar question. I offered him a blank stare, scarcely able to believe he'd asked in the first place. In the driver's seat, Rude was a silent statue, his face betraying nothing.

Working for Shinra? The mere thought of it made me want to cringe. I wanted nothing to do with those bastards.

"...Sorry," I said. "I'm not interested."

"You'd be making a hell of a lot more money than you are now," Reno offered, cocking an eyebrow.

I just shook my head. "I don't really care about the money. I don't want to be tied down to a corporate salary—mercenary work is fine for me, but thanks anyway."

"Are you sure?" Trent spoke up. "That's a big opportunity to pass up."

"You'd be the first female SOLDIER," Kunsel told me, his tone thoughtful. "Come to think of it, the only reason SOLDIER is all male is because no women have been able to meet the physical requirements for the mako treatments. You're definitely strong enough for it, I know that much."

Grant and Dean were both frowning, but neither of them said a word.

I sighed. "Even so, I..."

"Listen," Reno piped up. "Come to Midgar and stay the night. I'll have Shinra cover hotel expenses. You meet with my boss tomorrow morning, talk it over, and come to a decision then, yeah?"

Spending the night in Midgar? Meeting Tseng? This was getting crazier by the minute, and I didn't like it one bit. Why the hell was it that when I tried to _avoid _getting involved, all of these people came to me? Even Genesis! What were the chances that I'd bump into _him _of all people in a crowded city? It just wasn't fair, dammit!

"...And if my answer is still no?" I asked, stalling.

The Turk smiled, as if to a private joke. "I don't think that'll be an issue. The boss is pretty persuasive."

I met his eyes. Though his statement had sounded like it was in good humor, I heard the unspoken threat. It looked like I had never had a choice in the matter to begin with.

Because I could feel the others' eyes on me, I leaned back and smiled for the sake of dissipating the suddenly tense atmosphere. "...Fine, fine. I'll come."

"You won't regret it," he told me, though I was pretty sure I would.

* * *

**A/N: Aaaaand things are set into motion now. B-) Since OC Brit doesn't want to get involved, I want to chuck her right in the thick of things. More fun that way!**

**Planning on updating this weekly, maybe every Monday. This will last until we get through all the stuff I've already written, so you can at least plan on a few weeks of me actually being on time. XDDD I'll let you know when this story has caught up.**

**Review and...I'll give you Reno's goggles! :D**

**Next time: Shinra. Meeting Tseng.**


	3. Coercion

**A/N: Updating a day early...again! Haha, I decided that I want Sunday to be my update day. Why? Just because. Sunday feels right. B-) Good things happen on Sunday...like my day off, football, new episodes of The Walking Dead...yeah! XD**

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews, guys! I am having entirely too much fun with this. XD **

**Enjoy the latest chapter! :D**

* * *

When we finally arrived at the wastelands surrounding Midgar, it was nighttime. I had lost the small comfort of Dean and Grant; the two of them had collected their pay and gotten off at Kalm. They seemed to share my distaste for Midgar.

There were no windows in the back of the van, but from where I was sitting I could catch a glimpse of the city by looking out the front windshield.

The darkness made the lights of the sprawling metropolis even more striking, and seeing it in person caused dread to settle heavily in the pit of my stomach. It looked exactly the way it did in the game's opening sequence—more defined, yes, but the same structure was there. Greenish lights and smoke were visible from the eight mako reactors lining the perimeter of the city. And there, in the center...even from here, I could see the looming tower of Shinra Headquarters.

I frowned thoughtfully, an image of the train station flitting through my head, Cloud standing with his Buster Sword. Talk about nostalgia...only it wasn't really nostalgia. That hadn't even happened yet.

If I did something, I could stop it from happening...

Now I sighed, turning my attention away from the city and closing my eyes. Inevitably, with the center of all the trouble so close, my thoughts had turned back to _that. _ But I couldn't start having crazy ideas right now. I had to focus on just what was going to happen when I stepped out of this vehicle, and how I was going to escape the Turks' grasp.

Escaping the Turks...who was I kidding? I was in way over my head. These guys were trained killers—if they wanted something, they were going to damn well get it. I would be better off at least meeting with Tseng...maybe I wouldn't actually live up to their expectations, and they'd let me go. Of course, that'd be the best-case scenario.

It wasn't like I could escape from Midgar anyway...I was bad enough at navigating cities back home, never mind a place like that. Trying to play against the Turks, who knew the city like the back of their hand, was just a bad idea.

Just thinking about it was depressing...

It really sucked being alone like this. If I had at least been with someone...Lloyd or Zelos or Sheena...maybe I wouldn't have been so nervous. I could at least have faith then that even if we didn't figure out what to do right away, we'd at least be able to rely on each other.

With only myself to count on...what the hell was I going to do?

Well, if I somehow managed to get myself killed here, at least it wasn't like last time. At least my family and Earth were still safe. There was that, right?

...I still wasn't exactly keen on dying after fighting like hell to survive all this time. Ugh.

* * *

"You still awake, yo?"

I opened my eyes in reply, surprised to find that I had actually nodded off for a few minutes. I glanced over in the direction of the redheaded Turk, noting that I could no longer see the city in the distance anymore. We were surrounded by buildings.

"I've called my boss and made some preparations," he told me. "We've got you set up in a hotel in Sector 8. Nice place, too, right on LOVELESS Ave."

I nodded slowly, only half listening. We were in the city, which meant things were going to actually start happening now. Part of me was sizing Reno up. Could I escape this guy if it came down to it? Could I fight him if I had to, and win?

My mind kept bringing up the lovable post-Meteor Turks from Advent Children. Reno had spent most of the movie being comic relief, and even Rude had had some funny moments. When I thought of _those _Turks, I figured I could take them.

Of course, these two weren't the same. Meteorfall hadn't happened yet, and these guys still had their jobs and a very powerful company to work for. I had always liked Reno's personality, and he seemed like the sort of person I could get along with, but at the same time...

In the game, Reno had been part of the mission to drop the Sector 7 plate, crushing god knew how many helpless civilians in the slums. Regardless of what he appeared on the outside, I had no idea what sort of person he really was at this point. It was better not to underestimate what he was capable of.

Kunsel had straightened up, looking over with interest. "Hold on...don't tell me it's the Weyland?"

Reno smirked. "That's the one."

The SOLDIER whistled, impressed, and then turned to me. "They're really giving you the royal treatment...that's one of the nicest hotels in Midgar."

I wasn't sure if I should be happy about this or not. Somehow I doubted I'd be getting any sleep tonight, anyway. Not to mention I'd look horribly out of place in some upper-class hotel; I was covered in blood and snake saliva.

As if on cue, the van slowly ground to a halt, and Rude turned to look over his shoulder at us.

"We're here." They were the only words I'd heard him speak all day.

* * *

Midgar by day wasn't any nicer looking than it had been at night.

I scowled at the glass, wondering at the point of such an enormous window in the room when the view it looked upon was so ugly.

Maybe it was just a matter of perspective. I saw the mako reactors and Shinra HQ as ugly, though the buildings themselves weren't horrible looking. I just hated how _colorless _this place was—just grey everywhere. Grey buildings, grey roads, grey smog. There wasn't an ounce of natural plant life anywhere. It was kind of hard to grow trees in a park when the city was elevated above the ground—and its very energy source sucked the natural life from everything.

I shook my head and drew the curtains shut. What an awful place.

It was obvious enough right now that Midgar was still under construction, though. The city wouldn't be finished for a long while. To build a structure like this...how much did that have to cost? The sum had to be astronomical.

Sighing, I tried to put the image of the city out of my mind for now. I had to be leaving in about fifteen minutes, so right now I needed to focus on mentally preparing myself for what was coming up.

The Turks had given me a card to give to the hotel's front desk, and in exchange the woman there had given me my room key. The Weyland was about as fancy and luxurious as I'd been expecting; I did receive some looks just walking to my suite.

At first I had wondered why the hell Shinra would care about whether I had a nice room or not, but then I had seen the placement of the hotel and everything made sense. Sector 8 was directly in front of Shinra HQ, and the Weyland Hotel was on the corner of LOVELESS Avenue and the road that led up to Shinra's front steps. I could _see _the front steps from my window.

When I was right in front of their noses, there wasn't much I could do to escape. They wanted to keep an eye on me, that was for sure.

Today was the day I was supposed to meet with Tseng. I still hadn't spoken with the man at all; Reno had just told me a time to report to Shinra HQ, and the receptionists at the front desk would direct me to whatever place Tseng wanted to meet me in.

Since my clothes from the day before were pretty gross, I had showered and changed into the only spare set I had. Unfortunately, it was just a pair of casual Earth clothes—jeans and black t-shirt with the Batman symbol on it. They didn't look unusual in this modern city setting, but I just _knew _Tseng was going to be wearing a suit, and I'd be sitting there in my—

Oh, who the hell cared. It wasn't like I wanted to impress them anyway.

On the other hand, maybe I could work this to my advantage. I went into the bathroom and took one last look in the huge wall-length mirror.

I messed with my hair for a minute, then grinned slightly. I had washed off the remainder of the eyeliner I always wore, which helped—makeup made me look older. Still, I couldn't quite pull off the teenager look anymore. I definitely didn't look like a fighter, though. Just a normal civilian.

...Well, except for one tiny thing. There was that scar on my chin—the one Kratos had given me at the Tower of Salvation. It extended diagonally through my chest area, ending on the outside of my left ribcage, though thankfully all of that was covered by my clothing. But that tiny portion that was visible...

I shook my head. It wasn't like the fact that I had a scar would mean anything to them. Hell, I had told everyone back home that I had fallen and cut my chin on the corner of the bathroom sink, and they had bought it.

Self-conscious, I pressed a thumb to the scar and then let out a frustrated sigh. I remembered _feeling _Kratos' sword hit my jawbone. The wound had been deep, and it hadn't been healed right away. The scar was probably going to stay there for a very long time, and no amount of makeup concealer would hide it. The Turks would probably use it to identify me should I try to escape, too—

Ugh, why was I thinking about this? It was too late for that. I had to just bite the bullet and walk right into the lion's den.

I gave up on the mirror and walked back out into the main room, where all of my stuff was spread out on the sofa. The maids had taken my clothes from yesterday and they were currently being put through the wash. Kerberos was lying on the couch, the silver designs on its sheath gleaming in the light. Next to the sword was an assortment of gels left over from my previous journey, ones I always carried around as a precaution—one apple gel, three lemon gels, a melange gel, a pineapple gel, and a miracle gel. I had half a panacea bottle left as well.

Then there was my fully loaded first aid kit, complete with lots of extra bandages. Along with that came a Swiss Army Knife and a compass, the broken unicorn horn, one of Zelos' white headbands ("With this, hunny, you can be as awesome as me!"), my wallet, and my cell phone.

Was it safe to leave these things here? I wasn't even a hundred percent sure I'd be returning. Who knew what might happen...

The gels could be passed off as home remedies, but they might be dangerous. I wasn't sure what exactly they were made of. Hopefully the same stuff as potions here...but then again, I hadn't used a potion and didn't know how they worked. They might not instantaneously heal wounds the way they did in the game.

The main problems here, really, were my wallet and cell phone. My wallet had about twenty American dollars in it and some change, along with my driver's license, my student ID, my debit card and a host of credit cards.

I grimaced. The best solution here would be to get rid of them all—burn the money, throw away the change, shred the cards, smash the phone. Leave no trace of my previous existence to avoid arousing suspicion.

But I didn't like that solution. Just thinking about how much trouble that would mean for me back on Earth was a nightmare. Calling a billion companies to get replacements, going to the DMV, paying a shitload of money for a new iPhone...augh. Not only that, if I did somehow get back to Earth and ended up far away from where I actually lived, I was completely screwed if I didn't have any identification or sources of money. Then I'd be busy having a whole new adventure.

I was planning on getting back to Earth as soon as possible. It was kind of hard to give these things up—that was almost like giving up on going home.

Frowning, I gathered everything up and shoved it back into my bag. I'd just have to leave it all here and hope to god no one went through my bag. Maybe I'd figure something out later.

Whoops...eight minutes left till the meeting I was supposed to attend. Though I wasn't trying to make a good impression, the thought of arriving late and having the leader of the Turks glare at me was kind of scary.

I settled on leaving my bag in the bedroom, and then took nothing with me save for my suite key. Shutting the door behind me, I glanced both ways down the long hallway outside. There was no one else in the corridor. Taking a deep breath, I headed over to the elevator.

* * *

The walk to Shinra HQ was even shorter than I'd anticipated. I walked up through a plaza with a small fountain, and then I was pretty much right there at Shinra's front door. A lot of people were milling about, some of them in suits and some in casual wear. I remembered vaguely that the ground floor was open to the public.

Gathering my resolve, I made my way up the steps and inside the building.

The inside of Shinra Headquarters was exactly the way it had been depicted in the games. This room had two levels—the ground level was a sort of reception area, with a large Shinra logo depicted on a hologram behind the front desk. Staircases on either side of the front desk led to the upper level, where I could see a seating area and two elevators on the back wall. The entire place was very clean and well kept, the marble floors polished enough for me to practically see my reflection in them.

All in all, just a little intimidating. Walking in here made me feel kind of small and pathetic.

Nonetheless, I sucked it up and walked over to the front desk. Two receptionists were there; one of them was busy on a computer, but the other smiled pleasantly.

"Good morning! What can I do for you?"

"Um, my name's Brittany Furness," I replied, trying not to sound timid. "I'm scheduled for a meeting with the chief of the Tu—er, the Investigation Sector of the...the General Affairs Department." Wow, that was smooth. I could barely even remember the Turks' cover name. I'd have to be careful about that.

She didn't even seem to notice my blunder. Instead she just nodded, turning to her computer for a moment. "Let's see...Brittany, Brittany...ah, there you are. Ten o' clock! You're right on time." She stared at the computer for another second, finished whatever she was doing, and turned back to me.

"You can find him on the twenty-third floor, office number 232. If you need any help locating the room, feel free to ask any of the employees up there."

"Okay, thank you." I forced a smile, and began to trudge up the stairs leading to the elevators.

The doors opened almost immediately after I pressed the call button, so I had precious little time to mentally brace myself for what was coming. I stepped in and pressed the button for the floor I needed, and the elevator began moving up. It didn't even stop once to let in other people; in a building this big, what kind of luck was that? The world was apparently against me stalling.

As it turned out, the twenty-third floor was completely unremarkable. I stepped out of the elevator into an open area with a few chairs, potted plants and a coffee machine on a table in the corner. Directly ahead was a hallway lined with numbered doors. It looked like the inside of a typical office building.

I walked down the hallway, passing a few other people along the way; they were all dressed professionally, but few wore suits and none of them spared me a second glance. This definitely wasn't the Turks' floor, that was for sure.

My theory was proven when I stopped at office 232. Every door had a metal plate depicting not just the office number, but also the name of the person who used it. This door had no name inscribed—just a blank space where a name would go. This was a spare room.

Nervous, I took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in," a voice called from the other side.

The knob turned easily, and I let myself in, forcing a neutral expression on to my face.

The inside of the office was about as unremarkable as the floor itself. It contained a desk, a filing cabinet, and a few chairs. The walls were bare. Actually, the only interesting thing about this room was its occupant—the dark haired man that was circling around the desk to meet me.

He smiled easily, surprising me. "You must be Brittany. My name is Tseng—chief of the Investigation Sector. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Caught off guard by his friendliness, I almost forgot to shake the hand he held out.

"Ah, pleasure to meet you too," I replied out of reflex, and inwardly cursed myself. Why was I being nice? I had already worked out the plan in my head! I was supposed to be Kratos-y and standoffish! If he thought that was what my personality was like, it wouldn't look strange when I gave vague or clipped responses.

"Please, have a seat," he told me, moving back around to the other side of the desk. I complied, not knowing what else to do.

Tseng arranged some of the papers on the desk before sitting down himself, so I had time to really get a good look at him. As expected, he was wearing a flawless black suit and tie. His black hair was tied up the way it had been in Crisis Core.

He was pale with fine features that appeared decidedly Asian; he looked just the way I thought he would, right down to the tilak in the middle of his forehead. You'd think I would be used to it by now, but it was still weird meeting people for the first time when I already knew them.

Finally he seated himself, looking up and meeting my gaze. His eyes were coal black. I forced myself to look right back at him, knowing that he would pick up on it if I averted my gaze. He'd pick up on any body language at all, so I had to stop myself from fidgeting. Shit, this was like being at a job interview conducted by a freaking FBI agent...

...Except I had to convince him that I _wasn't _good enough for the job. This was ridiculous.

"I'm glad you came," he started out, steepling his fingers. "But I must admit, I'm surprised. Recruits picked up by my sector are generally of abilities exceptional enough to be guaranteed a job in SOLDIER—this means bypassing many of the standard evaluations the normal applicants would have to endure. It's rare for someone to refuse such an opportunity, you see. Might I ask why you're so against the idea?"

I took a breath before speaking, forcing myself to speak slowly. "Sorry. It's simple enough—I'm not interested in working for a company. I like the freedoms of what I'm doing now. I don't like staying in one spot for long, and I prefer to work alone. That's all."

Tseng nodded and then adopted a thoughtful expression, as if he were actually considering the points I had laid out before him.

"I see," he said at length. "I must apologize as well. Reno is a very competent subordinate of mine, but it seems he hasn't adequately explained the benefits of being in SOLDIER. You see, members of SOLDIER enjoy a great deal of personal freedom, more so than many of the other company employees."

I fought the urge to scowl. If it were anyone else, I would've just walked out—but this guy was the leader of the Turks.

He spent the next few minutes explaining the benefits of the job to me. I found myself feeling even more surprised, because Tseng actually made it sound attractive. It was a good thing I knew better; every company made themselves sound attractive to work for. He was probably spouting passages right out of the employee manual.

"So as you can see," he continued, "those in SOLDIER do have some choice in the work they do. Many hold different areas of expertise, and take on the types of missions they prefer. Director Lazard, I hear, is very understanding in these matters. And because an individual SOLDIER is equivalent to the strength of a company of infantry troops, in many instances the missions are performed alone."

I shook my head. "You put up a good argument, but..."

"Hmm, so you still aren't interested," he observed, straightening his posture and considering me for a moment. "Tell me, what can I do to make the position more attractive to you?"

My brow furrowed. "Um...no offense, sir, but you seem pretty adamant about getting me this job...why is that?"

This caused him to pause. Then he offered me a thin smile, his friendly demeanor slipping slightly. "As it so happens, we have a department assigned to seeking out recruits for a few reasons. The first being, of course, to bolster our numbers in SOLDIER and increase the success of the program. As for the second...well, this applies to exceptional cases like yours."

"Exceptional cases?" I blinked.

"Yes," he replied. "You displayed strength equivalent to that of a SOLDIER without any mako treatments. Theoretically, this should be physically impossible."

It was _very _hard to keep my expression neutral at this. Because I realized he was right—it was strength granted by my Exsphere, but they had no way of knowing that.

"Despite that, we have several witnesses that will testify to your strength. I'm confident that should you enroll in the SOLDIER program, you will be an asset to this company and you will find success in many of your future endeavors. However..."

I gulped. That was a big "however."

That thin smile again. "You must understand. Should you choose _not _to enroll in the SOLDIER program, and instead continue on as a mercenary, free to be hired by just anyone, there could be...complications."

"You're afraid I'll become a threat to the company," I responded in a flat voice, inwardly feeling shocked.

He shook his head. "I speak not for myself, but as a representative of Shinra. Please don't take my statements personally."

Well, he'd pretty much said it, hadn't he? Complications...it wasn't hard to figure out what he meant by that. If I chose to walk away from this, I would be branded as a threat to Shinra. Though I probably wouldn't publicly be considered a criminal, I'd be a fugitive to the company. And I'd probably be hunted down. Maybe even by Reno and Rude, or Tseng himself.

Either way, it wouldn't end well for me.

"So now you see why we orchestrated this meeting. I must ask you to reconsider your decision," Tseng said.

I frowned. They _wanted _me to take the job—they'd rather I be an asset to the company than dead. That was the real reason why Tseng was trying so hard.

"I'll join, but only on one condition," I said slowly.

That friendly PR smile returned. "Name it."

"Hojo can't be the one to administer the mako treatments. And after that, I want absolutely nothing to do with the Science Department or any sort of medical tests."

Tseng raised his eyebrows quizzically, but I kept my face carefully blank. Finally he wrote a few things down on a notepad on the desk, and then returned his gaze to me.

"If that's what you want, then it can be arranged. I trust this means I've secured your cooperation?"

I paused for a moment, understanding that I might be making the biggest mistake of my life. But there was little else I could do, so I met his eyes.

"Yes."

He gave me a pleased look, though his eyes had been cold through our entire conversation. "Excellent. Welcome to SOLDIER, Brittany."

Yeah, I was definitely going to kick myself for this later.

* * *

**A/N: Because honestly, it's useless to try running from the Turks. XD**

**Yeah, I know this is similar to Cloud's recruitment in _The Fifth Act. _I liked the "meeting with Tseng" idea, and being noticed by the Turks was really the only way I could think of to get OC Brit into SOLDIER (and consequently the middle of the action). Of course, _The Fifth Act _is still far superior. I AM UNWORTHYYYY  
**

**On another note...review! You know you want toooo! :D At this point, we still have three or four more chapters to go before this story's caught up. I'm gonna try to write like mad to increase the amount of regular updates I can actually do. XD**

**Next time: Mako. Waking nightmares. Genesis.**


	4. SOLDIER Eyes

**A/N: This is the second story I've updated today! You guys must be crapping yourselves. :D**

**Anyway, enjoy! I'm off to finish watching the Patriots game and hopefully get a good start on my shiny new copy of Pokemon Black 2. B-)**

* * *

The process of joining SOLDIER involved signing a lot of contracts and going over a lot of paperwork. At first I was careful to read the fine print on just about every document, but as it turned out, it was all legal jargon worded precisely so that the common citizen would have no hopes of understanding it. In the end I just signed what I needed to sign and prayed that my single condition to Tseng would protect me.

It wasn't like I had any choice either way...

The Turks still had me staying at the Weyland for the time being, at least until I became an official employee of the company. I wasn't exactly sure where I'd be staying after that—apparently there were barracks on the SOLDIER floor, but it wasn't like I could share living space with the men.

For right now, I was just being led by the nose, doing whatever I was instructed to do. I didn't know what tomorrow held...or the day after, or the day after that. For the foreseeable future, it looked like I was stuck in this world. I forced myself not to think about that too much; it'd just upset me. Somehow I had known something like this was going to happen, though. No matter how much I wanted to go home, some things were just out of my control.

It had been the same last time...I had never _asked _to be involved. Sometimes life just decided to shit on you.

This was one of those moments when I was having trouble feeling optimistic. I was sitting on a cold metal platform—an _operating table, _oh boy—wearing nothing but a thin hospital gown. Have I ever mentioned that I hate hospital gowns? I was freezing, and that was just an added discomfort on top of everything else.

Though I was on an operating table and wearing hospital-related garb, this wasn't the infirmary. No, this was actually my first and (hopefully) final visit to the 67th floor—the headquarters of the Science Department. This was where they conducted the mako treatments.

I was no idiot. I knew that there was no way I could get out of this; the minute I joined SOLDIER, I was fated to this. Because of my Exsphere, I already possessed the strength of a low-rank SOLDIER...so naturally, anyone who knew about me was going to immediately wonder how strong mako treatments would make me, and if I could be the next candidate for first class.

To be honest, the thought of it scared me. I earnestly hoped none here at the Science Department were aware of how and why I was recruited. I could just picture Hojo frothing at the mouth, hoping to poke and prod at me until I turned into another Sephiroth. That was the entire reason why I had requested _not _to be associated with the mad scientist.

No matter how much I told myself to remain still, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. Fear was blooming in the pit of my stomach. I hated this. I hated being in this horrible place, where I knew unspeakable acts were surely being committed for the sake of furthering research. It was even worse knowing I was totally defenseless, because for the first time ever, I had removed my Exsphere.

The process required the subject to remove all clothing and jewelry—there was no way I could explain why I needed to keep it on, so this morning I had taken the Key Crest and Exsphere off and placed them in my bag, leaving them in my hotel room. As a result I had felt horribly weak and nauseous all day, which only added to my trepidation.

My head jerked up as the door at the other end of the room slid open. A blond scientist stepped in, glancing over his clipboard for a moment before looking up at me.

"...Miss Furness, is it?" he said. His tone was polite, but very impersonal.

I nodded slowly.

"Interesting..." the researcher looked me over, and then smiled slightly. "You passed the preliminary test, as expected. It seems you're set to go."

I had trouble feeling enthusiastic about this. To be honest, I had been kind of hoping I'd fail.

Before admitting anyone into the treatments, Shinra always gave a difficult mental and physical test to ensure that the person in question could handle the mako. My physical strength had already been proven, so the preliminary test the scientist spoke of had been solely to test my mental state. Apparently since I had passed, that meant I was mentally stable. Being mentally unstable meant potentially succumbing to mako poisoning—so I hoped they were right about me.

The man gestured for me to lie back on the operating table. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Tseng had already walked me through this during our meeting. I knew what the process entailed; it was a three-day procedure that involved alternating between injections and mako baths, starting out small and gradually increasing the level of mako exposure. I suspected Jenova cells would be injected at some point, too, but of course Shinra was going to keep quiet about that aspect of it.

Lying back, I felt like I was going to puke. Did I really want to do this? This wasn't reversible. No...did I have a choice? They might imprison or even kill me if I tried to get away now.

I closed my eyes, holding my arm out when the researcher asked me to. Then I felt the sting of a needle in the crook of my arm—a mild sedative. Almost immediately the nausea abated, and I felt myself grow limp.

I was grateful for the drug. Keeping my eyes closed, I let go of all awareness until I slipped out of consciousness, hoping against hope that I would not awaken until it was all over.

* * *

_The ground beneath my feet was muddy and slick, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't run fast enough without slipping. I felt despair eat at the pit of my stomach. It wasn't mud I was treading on, not really. The dirt was mixed with blood._

_Everything was on fire. Bodies littered the streets, flesh slashed to ribbons. It was a living nightmare._

_There was only one way this could end. I had to finish it before this went too far. Choking on the smoke, I continued to run as fast as I could._

_But no matter how much ground I covered, the tall shadow with the long blade was always just out of my reach..._

* * *

Green. I hated that color.

Where was this? The flames were gone, but my entire body still burned, and I continued to choke.

I could make out the hazy image of a lab through the glass in front of me. Lab...Shinra...mako...

Finally I stopped fighting to breathe, vaguely realizing that I was not choking on the green liquid I was suspended in. There was a mask feeding me air.

I still felt like I was suffocating. Time stretched onward into eternity.

* * *

_The inside of the mako reactor was completely destroyed. All of the pods were smashed open, revealing the grotesque mutations within. The monsters had fallen to the floor, all of them dead._

_I walked slowly up the steps. The last of my energy was gone and I knew there was nothing I could do now, but I found myself unable to stop._

_The next chamber revealed the man I had been chasing. He was standing with his back to me, his form hiding Jenova from my view._

_I opened my mouth, intending to say his name, but no sound came out. Still, he sensed my presence and turned._

_Those catlike green eyes locked on mine, sending chills down my back._

_"Who are you?"_

* * *

The room smelled like vomit.

At some point I was sure I had puked, but I couldn't remember doing it. Several hands grabbed at me, cleaning me up, pulling me off the tile bathroom floor. The lights in here were too harsh—even squeezing my eyes shut did little to ease the horrible headache I had.

I hated the color green, and I hated the feeling of rubber surgical gloves against my skin. I wished they wouldn't touch me. I could kill them for touching me. Poking, prodding...

Another light pain in the crook of my arm, and everything dulled.

When I felt my back against the cold metal of the surgical table again, I gave up and allowed my eyes to slip shut.

* * *

_It was the first time I had ever seen this building so empty. Last time it had been bustling with people, even on this floor. Men and women in white coats, wheeling specimen carts here and there, some holding clipboards and some using computers..._

_Though I hated them all, it was still eerie with them gone._

_All that was left here were test tubes and foreign equipment with flashing lights and the single long, trailing smear of blood on the floor in front of me._

_My feet were moving of their own accord. I followed the trail of blood to the holding chamber I recognized very well, the one that housed Jenova in the Science Department._

_The chamber was empty._

_When I turned around, he was there. My eyes met green. Burning. Burning with hate._

_"Who are you?"_

* * *

"Nngh..."

Oddly enough, it was the involuntary noise I made that really woke me up. Man, it was nice to be able to use my vocal chords again...for a while it had hurt to speak because I had screamed them raw.

Screamed...? I couldn't remember that, but the thought had floated to the surface all the same. I grimaced, shifting a bit.

Oh. Oh, holy crap. That hurt.

"Ah, it seems you're awake." A female voice roused me further, and I cracked my eyes open a bit.

Thankfully, the light didn't burn. It wasn't harsh fluorescent light, but soft sunlight streaming in through a window to my left. It felt like I hadn't seen the sun, or the outside world for that matter, in ages.

"How are you feeling? Can you speak?"

I turned my attention to the woman standing near the foot of my bed. She was wearing scrubs—nurse's garb. Relief rushed through me in a powerful wave, and through I wasn't feeling particularly cheery, I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"I'm...better, I guess," I replied. "Where am I?"

She smiled back, writing a few things down on a clipboard. "You're in the East Wing infirmary. Congratulations, SOLDIER. You've completed your mako treatments. The first female ever to do so, for that matter...I think you'll make quite the role model."

I wanted to laugh at that last statement, but I was too caught up in the awe that it was finally _over. _ What a nightmare that had been. Just a blur of pain and fear and horrible, horrible dreams...

...Except I still wasn't entirely sure what had been a dream and what had been reality. I remembered waking up at some point to see someone—some_thing—_on an operating table adjacent to me, screaming...

I shuddered and pushed the memory away. No more. I was never going back to that place.

"...What happens now?" I finally asked.

"Well, we'll have to keep you here for a few days until you're well enough to move around," the nurse explained. "After that, a superior officer will come retrieve you. Relax for now—there's no need for you to worry about it."

"Okay," I sighed.

She set down the clipboard. "Give me a moment, and I'll be back with some water and some soup."

"Thanks," I said, and leaned back as she left the room.

My entire body ached, and my mind was a complete blank. Maybe that was a blessing. The nurse was right—no need to worry right now. I just needed to recover. I was still alive, and I was still _me..._that was enough for now.

After a few minutes she came back as she said she would, a glass of water in one hand and a cup of broth in the other. I realized with a shock that I hadn't actually eaten in three days; the scientists had made sure to keep me hydrated, but that was about it. It was probably because I couldn't have kept anything down in the midst of all that anyway.

I was famished, so the sight of just broth was a little disappointing. I understood, though. My stomach was likely to still be a little weak.

She left to go check on a few other patients, so I got started on my meal. I forced myself to consume the food slowly. I had to regain my energy. The faster I did that, the sooner I could come to grips with everything that was going on.

Exhaustion settled over me the second I set aside the dishes. Knowing there was no point in fighting it, I laid back and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take me.

* * *

_The Northern Cave._

_Beaten and bloodied, I made my way for the green light overhead, resolute. Up until now, monsters had been attacking me left and right; they finally seemed to have given up. The level of exertion it had taken to make it here was enormous. My body felt like it was on the verge of collapse._

_Still, I stubbornly placed one foot in front of the other. Why? Was I still deluding myself into thinking I could make a difference? Chasing the shadow of the man, never catching up...maybe my destiny was to watch him fulfill his, helpless to do anything to stop him._

_The light drew ever closer. I climbed upwards, my muscles screaming with the effort._

_Finally I was standing before him. Suspended in the mako, cradled in the Northern Crater where it all began, he looked almost serene. He was unmoving, asleep._

_I gazed upon him for what seemed like an eternity. Then, slowly, my hand began to move. The mako here had the consistency of gelatin; it stung my skin slightly as I came into contact with it._

_I reached out to him, feeling like I was in a trance. I just had to touch him...prove to myself that he was really there. That he existed. That this wasn't a—_

_His eyes snapped open so suddenly that I had no time to react. He caught hold of my outstretched wrist, gripping it with bruising force._

_"YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE," he hissed, his voice booming in my ears._

_I could feel the bones in my wrist being crushed. His venomous eyes pinned me there and all I could do was stare back in shock, unable to move, unable to breathe as waves of overwhelming pain threatened to swallow me whole._

* * *

"Well, this is a funny coincidence."

I looked up from my breakfast, staring in puzzlement at the unfamiliar youth that had entered the room. He had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes, and he was wearing the purple uniform of a SOLDIER second class.

...Wait a second. Something about that voice...

My brow furrowed. "Kunsel? Is that you?"

He laughed, walking up to the end of my bed. "Of course it's me. Who else did you think it was?"

"I've never seen you with your helmet off," I pointed out.

"Oh, right." He took on a sheepish expression. "Forgot about that...I hardly ever take it off when I'm on duty."

I smiled, setting aside my plate. "So what brings you here, anyway?" It sure was good to see a familiar face again...even if that face wasn't so familiar. Whatever.

I wasn't sure what I had expected Kunsel to look like, but this did seem to suit him. He looked like he might have been a year or two younger than me. Hard to imagine that such elite warriors could be just kids when it all came down to it.

"Apparently I'm in charge of you for the next few days," Kunsel said with a grin. "That's what I've been told, anyway. How are you feeling?"

Kunsel was the superior officer the nurse had been talking about? I was so happy I could cry. Honestly, I was completely out of my element in a military setting—knowing I'd have a friend around was a huge load off my mind.

"I'm fine," I replied. "Antsy. At first the rest was nice, but the nurses still hardly let me out of bed."

"Looks like I'm your key to freedom, then," he said. "You're officially discharged."

My eyebrows shot up. "What? Seriously?"

"Yup." He dropped a duffel bag laden with clothes at the foot of the bed. "Here's your gear, SOLDIER. And this..." Now he held out a plastic card with a photo of me on the front. "This is your Shinra ID. Don't lose it, because it's also your key card to the SOLDIER floor."

I took the card, staring down at it. Well, at least the picture hadn't come out too badly. The words "SOLDIER Third Class" were printed beneath my name. It still felt unreal.

"Today I'll give you a tour of the facilities and explain a bit about how things work around here," Kunsel said. "Change into your uniform and head on up to the forty-ninth floor when you're ready. I'll be waiting for you in the briefing room."

"Got it."

He nodded. "See you then."

After Kunsel left, I reached over to fish through the duffel bag. Immediately my hand met a tough knitted material, and I pulled out a blue sleeveless turtleneck. The uniform...

I looked around, seeing no nurses in sight. Well, since I was discharged, they couldn't fuss over me anymore, right? It was safe to get out of bed now.

Remarkably enough, my body wasn't even the least bit sore. Two days ago it hurt to even move my fingers, never mind the rest of me; now I suddenly felt at the top of my game. I stood and headed straight for the bathroom.

There was a single stand-up shower in here, and I made full use of it. I hadn't bathed in days and I was sick of feeling disgusting.

When I was all dried off, I tugged on my SOLDIER garments layer by layer. First came the pants and the turtleneck. Then I fiddled around with the buckles on the pauldrons for a while, eventually figuring out how the armor secured to my shoulders. Then came the belt, the boots, and finally the gloves.

There, suited up. Now then...

For the first time since I had woken up in the infirmary, I stepped in front of a mirror. The mirror in here was fogged up from the shower steam; I reached out, carefully wiping it away.

The sight awaiting me was like a punch in the gut.

Now was when everything _really _hit home.

I stared at my reflection, gripping the edge of the sink for support. My eyes...they were glowing. I knew this was what was supposed to happen, I had already seen those eyes on Kunsel, but...

I had avoided looking in mirrors for the past few days for this very reason. I had been too scared of what I might see.

It's just...those weren't _my _eyes. They were the same size and shape, and yet...

I took a shuddering breath. My eyes were supposed to be brown. It was hard, knowing I had given up part of myself for this. And not only that...now I had that _thing's _cells inside of me, too.

Brown eyes, like my dad's.

I lowered my gaze. How was I even going to face my family when I went home? And for that matter, what was going to happen between now and then? Working for Shinra, what would I become...?

Overwhelmed, I allowed myself a small, choked sob before falling silent once more. I wanted to break down but this wasn't the time or place to start bawling. Right now I just needed to hold things together, at least for a little longer.

_No matter what happens, you're still you._

That's what Lloyd would have told me. I had to keep remembering that; no matter what they had done to me in the Science Department, I was still the same person. Even though it caused me emotional pain, the color of my eyes didn't change anything. It wasn't like my family would reject me just because I no longer had the Furness' trademark dark brown eyes...

Another sob. I sniffled slightly, and then forced myself to breathe slowly for a few seconds. The lump in my throat loosened and I felt myself calm down a little. There...not perfect, but better.

I risked another glance up at the mirror to check my appearance. Good; it didn't look like I had been crying. My eyes were a little wet, but I could fix that in the next few minutes. A quick comb-through with my fingers fixed my short hair, and I was good to go.

Time to go meet Kunsel.

* * *

The East Wing infirmary was on the second floor of Shinra HQ, in a building just outside of the main tower. In order to make it to the elevators, I had to take a route via intersecting hallways that led to the tower's second floor central room.

By the time I actually managed to get over there, I found that I had calmed down considerably. It definitely helped actually being able to walk around—I felt like I was finally able to take some action. Lying around in bed had been getting depressing.

And aside from my minor identity crisis, physically I felt great. Like I could run laps around the city without breaking a sweat. Mako, apparently, was like an Exsphere on crack.

...Okay, maybe that was a bad analogy. Still, the effects were definitely stronger than my Exsphere, I could tell that already. I was almost excited to see how I'd do in combat now. Almost. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to slay a few monsters, right? Just to check. Or maybe Kunsel would let me spar with him...

Still deep in thought over these new developments, I approached the elevator and pressed the call button. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that it took me a moment to even realize who I was staring at when the doors opened.

Genesis was the sole occupant of the elevator. His eyebrows flew up when he saw me; he didn't say a word, just staring at me in complete surprise.

For a moment I mirrored his expression. Of all the people...wow, this was just crazy. Actually, I was kind of glad to see him. He was a reminder that at least not all of this had been in vain. I had saved Genesis from his fate. Now, even if I screwed up at everything else imaginable, I could at least cling to that one good deed.

Unable to help myself, I offered him a cheery smile and came to stand next to him on the elevator. The doors closed, shutting us in.

"Oh, fancy meeting you here," I said, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

The redhead's look of consternation was almost comical. He made a quiet noise of protest, seeming to choke on his words for a few seconds as he attempted to voice a thought to adequately suit this odd situation.

Finally he just shook his head, letting out a short huff.

"SOLDIER floor, I presume?" he asked in a dry tone.

"That's right."

"Convenient," he drawled, gesturing to the corresponding button, which was already lit. "I'm heading there as well."

We were quiet for a second or two as the elevator began moving upwards. I saw the light above the door inching from floor to floor; we still had a ways to go, which meant I'd be in his company for a few minutes. Well, this was going to be interesting.

Since I usually managed to make an idiot out of myself when I did open my mouth, I decided to remain silent this time around. Unfortunately this seemed to be having an adverse effect on Genesis. He was giving me such a blatant expectant look that it was hard _not _to notice, even though I could only see him from the corner of my eye. It was actually kind of funny. He might not like it if I laughed, though.

"...I see I may have missed a few things during my absence," he finally gave in, crossing his arms. "Here I spent all this time searching for you in Junon, when you were right under my nose."

Well, I couldn't keep quiet at _that. _I turned to look at him, raising my eyebrows. "You were looking for me?"

He smirked, seeming pleased at finally having caught my attention. "Oh, yes. I cleared up your misunderstanding with the Junon troops, and I thought I might seek you out to satisfy my curiosity."

Misunderstanding? Wait...that explained a few things. If Genesis had helped me out back there, that was probably why Shinra hadn't received any reports about me. Otherwise I might've been taken in for questioning.

"Huh...thanks for covering for me," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I owe you one."

Genesis shook his head. "No, it is I who is indebted to you...Brittany, was it? In two weeks, you've gone from fugitive to SOLIDER...care to explain?"

I shrugged noncommittally, knowing the real story would take more time than we had. "The Turks asked nicely."

That caused him to snort. "_Really._"

The light had finally fallen on the 49th floor, and the elevator stopped. There was a small beep, and a screen above the floor buttons lit up. The words "ENTER CARD KEY" appeared in blue.

The redhead's face fell, and he looked a little irritated at the interruption. He pulled out his own ID, scanning it. The screen flashed green, and the elevator doors opened.

"Hmph...duty calls. I have a meeting to—" He cut himself off, seeming to think of something, and then stared down at me with a frown. "Where are _you _going?"

"Briefing room," I replied as we stepped out of the elevator. "Meeting a superior. It's my first official day."

His lips turned up in a wry smile. "You're going to have a hell of a time getting anyone to take you seriously, you know. In case you haven't noticed, you're a woman."

"I have noticed, but thanks for the reminder." I rolled my eyes, turning in the direction I knew the briefing room to be. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around."

He nodded and we parted ways, Genesis walking in the opposite direction to an area I didn't recognize.

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess..._"

I heard him murmur the words as he left, his voice thoughtful. Quoting LOVELESS already, huh? I looked around in his direction out of reflex, and had just enough time to catch one last glimpse. He turned his head slightly, as if he sensed my gaze; then he rounded the corner at the end of the hall with a graceful flourish of his coat, and he was gone.

Okay, normal people didn't make exits like that. I smiled, shaking my head; it looked like no matter what setting he was in, Genesis always had a taste for the dramatic.

* * *

**A/N: Just a short meeting to start out...but I can't wait to _really _write Genesis. :D this won't be the last OC Brit sees of him, I assure you. In fact, she couldn't avoid him if she wanted to! ...She probably will want to. XD**

**What's up with those dreams? Well, _I _know, but I do always enjoy hearing my reviewers speculate and make predictions. B-D Ohoho.**

**See you guys next week! EVEN IF THE MORROW IS BARREN OF PROMISES, NOTHING SHALL FORESTALL MY RETUUUURN *dramatic pose***

**Next time: SOLDIER life. Angeal. The puppy.**


	5. Fated Meeting

**A/N: Hey guys! Happy Sunday! :D**

**Fun-packed chapter ahead. This one's even a bit longer than the past ones have been. :D Thanks for your continued support!**

* * *

As expected, Kunsel was waiting for me in the briefing room. Though it had been a while since I had played Crisis Core, I did vaguely remember this. In the center of the room was a large V-shaped table, lined with chairs. A computer monitor was in front of each chair, and in front of the V was a large screen; I suspected whatever was projected on that screen showed up on each individual monitor as well.

The SOLDIER was sitting at the bottom of the V, which was probably where the Director typically sat. The room was deserted; all of the screens were dark.

"You made it," Kunsel said, turning when he heard the door slide open.

"Sorry if I made you wait," I replied.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Here, take a look." He messed with the computer in front of him for a second, and the screen lit up.

I leaned over his shoulder to observe. He seemed to be on some sort of company program, because the red Shinra insignia was clearly displayed in the top left corner of the screen. There were a bunch of dates and times on the left side of the screen, while the right side seemed to have places and descriptions. Some kind of itinerary or something?

"This is your schedule for this week," Kunsel explained. "Normally it's not like this, but newly-minted Thirds go through a sort of probationary period. You're gonna be pretty busy, especially since you're not familiar with military customs and courtesies."

"What, like salutes and stuff?"

He grinned. "That's right. Wait till you see it—there's a whole book of rules you have to study. Most of us learned all of that as cadets in the infantry. It's one of the first things you're taught."

"Fun." I grimaced, rubbing the back of my neck. That just sounded awful. I was probably gonna forget stuff and make an idiot out of myself, too.

We spent the next ten minutes or so going over the schedule just to make sure I understood everything. It looked like I had a lot of training scheduled...I was going to be beat by the end of the week. At least I had a few materia classes thrown in there, though. There was something I'd actually be interested in learning about.

He also showed me how to log in to the company computers—they had their own network, and every employee was given a specific username and password to access their personal documents. I was issued a company cell phone (though he called it a handset, and I remembered the game using the term PHS) and shown how to set it up. It was possible to read company news and even sign up for missions using a phone, which was pretty neat.

After that I was given a tour of the SOLDIER floor. I was already somewhat familiar with the general layout; it was very similar to its Crisis Core representation, though definitely more extensive. There were several meeting rooms other than the main briefing room I had met him with, offices, the VR training room (I couldn't _wait _to see what that was like) and a large lounge area.

The western end of the floor was dominated by barracks that were divided by rank—Seconds had just a bit more living space than the Thirds, while those lucky enough to be in First Class pretty much had their own apartments. I guess if you could kick that much ass, you deserved it, anyway.

"I guess the Director was having trouble figuring out where to set you up," Kunsel remarked as we passed the barracks. "There was never really a rule against women joining SOLDIER; it just hadn't been done. Anyway, we don't have designated women's barracks, but there're spare rooms adjacent to the Second Class barracks."

He came to a stop as we entered a new hallway—all of the doors on the left hand side were rooms used by Second Class SOLDIERs. We took a right turn down a new hallway, one that connected the barracks to the lounge. The spare rooms were in this hall.

Kunsel paused at a door marked 26A.

"We've been using these for storage," he explained. "This room should be all cleared out, though. Sorry if it's a little dusty." He gestured to the lock, where there was a small slot for a card key. I realized that my Shinra ID could be used here.

_Please don't be a closet, _I thought, bracing myself for the worst as I turned the knob.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened to reveal a relatively normal looking room. It was very small, yes—it reminded me of some college dorms I'd seen—but it was tolerable enough. The walls and floor were bare. Against the right wall was a single bed; the mattress lacked any blankets or sheets. Next to the bed was a small dresser with a lamp on it. There was a desk in one corner of the room as well. A door in the top left corner of the room led to a tiny bathroom, complete with a toilet, sink, and a stand-up shower that was about as spacious as a coffin.

...Okay, so it was probably the most claustrophobic room I'd ever seen, but I wasn't going to whine. A private bathroom and a bed to sleep in...somewhere to _retreat _to. Well, it was better than nothing. I had a feeling I was going to be antisocial and hide in here quite a bit.

After that, Kunsel and I parted ways. I reported to a meeting room on the third floor for a grueling three-hour company orientation that had me just about ready to kill myself, after which I returned to the Weyland to get my things and check out.

By that night, I was all moved in, and my real stay at Shinra HQ began.

* * *

"That'll do for today, SOLDIERs. Dismissed."

Everyone broke formation, dispersing. Some of them mingled and chatted for a minute with their buddies, while others were eager to leave and get some rest. I had a distinct lack of buddies, so I fell into the latter category.

Before leaving, I hesitated for a second, glancing over at our commanding officer—Lieutenant Angeal Hewley. It had been a bit of a shock to see him on the first day I'd reported for training, though I guess I was bound to encounter the man at one point or another.

Though I hadn't spoken to him personally, he struck me as someone who really had his shit together. As a superior he was very fair; he expected the best from everyone, but his demands were never over-the-top. He somehow managed to be stern and encouraging at the same time. After being so used to a hardass like Kratos, adapting to Angeal's training was simple enough.

Word of my entry into SOLDIER had spread like wildfire. I knew Angeal had noticed the obvious fact that I was the female SOLDIER everyone had been talking about, but he never addressed me directly or spoke to me after training was finished.

Unexpectedly, I found myself reminded of Regal—and this fostered a genuine respect for the man, because Angeal seemed to understand people well enough to protect me. He wasn't speaking to me because that could be construed as special treatment—the entire reason why I was detested as a whole. The first female SOLDIER, hired from outside the company when generally people entered the program via internal promotions...I didn't like it, but I could understand their resentment. The men didn't believe that it was because I was strong, so they were speculating on all sorts of reasons why I had been hired. Their favorite so far seemed to be that I was screwing one of the executives.

Either way, my only friend right now was Kunsel, and I only saw him every now and then. Genesis had been deployed to Wutai, I heard. I had been trying my best to keep up with the news on the war, hoping against hope that he wouldn't desert this time.

Two Thirds walked past me, glancing my way and then snickering. I broke my gaze away from Angeal, shaking my head with irritation. They probably thought I wanted to get in bed with him, too. I kind of wished they could be a little more creative with their insults; I mean, the sexual stuff was starting to get old already.

Not all of the guys insulted me, I found. It was just a few groups, and I found myself learning their names and faces pretty quickly. The rest weren't openly rude to me, but they avoided speaking to me, probably to avoid harassment from the others. This was just among the Thirds—the Seconds pretty much ignored me as a whole. But then again, they mostly ignored all of the Thirds, so that wasn't too bad.

I sheathed Kerberos, turning and heading out of the training area. Thankfully a certain amount of customization was allowed with our gear; since my blade was pretty close to the size and shape of the regulation SOLDIER swords, I was allowed to use it. Of course, if I ever became a First, I could use whatever the hell weapon I wanted. First Class could pretty much neglect all the weapon and armor standards they wanted as long as they kept being badass. Not that I'd ever make First; even if I magically found the strength to pull it off, I'd never want to attract that much attention.

Sighing, I pulled out my phone and checked the schedule. Materia training was next. The room for that was down the hall a ways and to the left—

Suddenly I hit something hard, swearing as I dropped the phone. It clattered to the floor but thankfully didn't break. Frowning, I glanced up to see a very familiar face sneering down at me.

"Maybe you should watch where you're going, babe," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and standing too close for comfort. I backed off, glaring.

Meet Jace. Jace and his two douchey friends, Brad and Todd, had been my personal nightmares for the past week. They were the star players in this fun little drama; it seemed like they instigated everything, and the others just went along with it.

"Well? Come on, not even going to apologize?"

"What a bitch," Brad snorted.

It was useless trying to talk to these oafs, so I just ignored them and bent down to pick up my phone.

Jace stepped back in an exaggerated hurry. "Whoa, there, hun—I know that works with the Director, but I don't take favors from trashy girls. Sorry to disappoint."

I felt my stomach clench, and forced my face into a blank slate as I snatched the phone and drew up to my full height again. They always went to every length to humiliate me, and it usually worked. My face was going to turn red—whether from anger or embarrassment or both, I didn't know, and it didn't matter. The minute I showed any outward weakness, they were going to close in like a pack of wolves.

So, as usual, I ignored them and walked past. They shouted insults at my back, and I kept walking.

Once I was safely out of their range, I let out a shaky sigh. I was gonna have to think of a way to deal with those guys soon.

Honestly, I didn't _care _what people thought of me here. I wasn't trying to make friends or fit in; I just wanted to find a way to get out of this mess as soon as possible. If I was stuck in SOLDIER, then I was going to take advantage of it and find a way to use Shinra's resources.

Though I didn't care whether or not I was popular, I couldn't deny that this was becoming an issue. Their harassment just kept getting worse, and it was really making my life difficult. Not only that, if I was a complete outcast in SOLDIER, then I would have a lot of trouble accomplishing what I needed to accomplish. It couldn't hurt to have at least a few connections or acquaintances—it was always important to have ways of gathering information, and if I had no friends to hear rumors and goings-on from, then I would be totally in the dark.

Another sigh. I had no idea how to tackle this problem...in school all the adults always used to say the same bullshit—ignore the bullies, because then they'll leave you alone. I had never really been bullied, but I knew what I had seen, and that whole strategy was complete bullshit. People like that never gave up. They'd just keep pushing and pushing until one day the kid snapped and either killed themselves or walked into the school with a gun.

Obviously I wasn't going to let it come to any extremes. But what was I supposed to do, anyway?

I had arrived at my next destination. Time to push aside those thoughts for later. Hopefully I'd figure out something soon, because I wasn't sure if I could handle another week of this stupidity...

* * *

Day ten.

Life at Shinra Headquarters was starting to become routine, which was a little scary. I had completed my probationary period and tomorrow, apparently, was going to be my first real mission. Of course I had done a few simulated missions in the training room (the virtual reality was crazy awesome), but this was going to be the real deal—the start of my SOLDIER work. Kunsel would be accompanying me, so I was actually kind of looking forward to it. It was getting stuffy in here with guys leering at me all the time.

Thankfully, today I was off duty; I was free to do what I wanted to prepare for tomorrow's mission. This morning I had cashed my first paycheck and gone down to Midgar to purchase some necessities, and it had actually been _nice. _Might as well make the best of a bad situation, right? At least I had money—I had barely even made a dent in my pay from that Zolom disaster mission.

Now it was afternoon and I was a little bored. Wandering the SOLDIER floor wasn't exactly a good idea; I knew Jace's cronies were out on missions today, but Jace himself didn't need backup when he was in the mood to be an asshole. Kunsel was exterminating some monsters in the slums and wouldn't be back for another hour or so, and Genesis was still in Wutai. There was no one to see and nothing to do and I was _bored, _dammit. And when I was bored, I was bound to start brooding.

Maybe I'd go take a look at the training room. I didn't know how to set up the simulation mechanism myself, but I could always hope that someone would be there that did. A lot of the time there were technicians tinkering with and adjusting the system, and they were always up for having someone around to test it out.

My mind made up, I headed over to the room. Shit, if there was no one in there, I was going to _find _someone who knew how to operate the controls. I was _not _going to brood in my room-closet for the rest of the day, that was for sure.

I realized my mistake the second I had walked up to the door to the training room's antechamber, but by then it was too late—the automatic door slid open and the sound gave away my presence, causing the teenager standing at the controls to tense.

It was impossible not to recognize that spiky black hairdo, even from behind. I almost walked out, my heart leaping into my throat, but for better or worse I stood my ground.

Zack stood frozen for a moment. Then he laughed nervously, holding his hands up and glancing over his shoulder. "Uh, Angeal, it's not what you—huh?"

His brilliant blues met mine. And _wow—_those had to be the first SOLDIER eyes I really liked. Looking at his eyes was like looking at the sky on a cloudless day; they were cheery and bright. For a moment I wondered if Zack's eyes had been blue before the mako treatments, but then I remembered who I was looking at and forced myself to clear my mind.

The guilty look on his face faded, replaced by a hesitant grin. "Oh, uh, sorry. I thought you were someone else." Then he paused, his brow furrowing as he looked me up and down. After a second, his eyes widened with sudden realization, and his face lit up with excitement. "Hold on, are you—you are! You're that recruit! Man, so it's true...a girl SOLDIER!"

He grinned, stepping forward and practically thrusting his hand in my face. "SOLDIER Second Class Zack Fair, at your service!"

I stared at him stupidly for a moment before remembering to shake his hand. "...Nice to meet you."

Zack Fair. I had just shaken a dead man's hand.

Only he wasn't dead, he was right here in the flesh. He was...wow. I just couldn't believe it. That _smile..._so lively and infectious, just the way I had imagined.

He tilted his head, leaning forward and looking amused. "You've got a name too, right?"

"Brittany Furness," I managed to reply, cracking a small smile through the shock.

"Brittany..." he tried the name out, looking thoughtful. Then his excitement came back, and he bounced eagerly on the balls of his feet. "Hey, we should do a practice mission! I've never met a girl that could fight with a sword like that. I was just trying to figure out how to work this—here, give me a sec..."

He returned to fiddling with the machine for a second, before huffing in frustration. "Angeal always makes it look so easy..."

I remained silent for the moment, just staring at his back. I knew I should probably say something, but I just couldn't trust my voice right now. He was young...still a Second. My guess was seventeen or eighteen. I was older than the heroic Zack Fair? That was hard to fathom. I knew the kid I saw now wasn't the same as the man who died protecting Cloud...at least, not yet. But it was hard _not _tosee that man when I looked at him.

_You're going to die, _I thought, feeling sick. _Shinra is going to use you and then gun you down when they're finished._

This was horrible. How could I ignore it when he was standing right in front of me? I needed to get out of here. I couldn't let Zack worm his way into my heart, not when he was practically entrenched already.

"Oh! Here we go!" The teen grinned and finally punched in a few commands, and I saw through the observation window that the training room's virtual reality system had been activated.

Zack gestured for me to follow him, grinning all the while. What excuse could I come up with to leave at this point? It was stupid—it wasn't like I could avoid him _forever. _So I bit my tongue and followed him into the room.

As with most of the simulations, the change was instant—it was almost like stepping outside. One minute I was in Shinra HQ, and the next I was in a downtown area of Midgar.

...Hold on, I knew this place. I could see the Weyland from here—this was near the entertainment district and LOVELESS Avenue. We were in a small plaza with a fountain, not far from the front steps of the Shinra building.

"...Aw, man..." After a minute of looking around, Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought I set it right...there's supposed to be monsters here." He took out his phone and flipped it open, frowning for a second. Then he cheered up a little. "Oh, I think I just messed up on the encounter rate. Let's look around for a sec."

Encounter rate? I almost snorted; it sounded like he was talking about random battles.

We started walking down the steps near the fountain and towards the road the Weyland was on. I glanced around, not seeing anything.

"You're pretty quiet, aren't you?" Zack said after a moment, practically squirming with discomfort at my silence.

Nope, I'm just too busy fighting an inner battle to have a conversation with you, bud. Still, it was hard not to laugh at his expression.

"...I guess," I said, shrugging, not betraying any of my thoughts.

He frowned, but then seemed to perk up a little. "Hey, I know! While we're looking around, why don't you tell me how you got in to SOLDIER? I heard the Turks picked you up. You must be pretty tough if you got their attention, right?"

It was _really _hard to bring Zack down, that much was obvious. Here I was being a stick in the mud, and he was still bouncing around happily like a hyperactive little kid. I kept fighting to keep myself detached, but it was pretty much impossible _not _to like him.

Now it was my turn to squirm. I didn't like getting too much attention—I had refrained from even putting on my Exsphere since I had gotten the treatments, since I was afraid of what the results might be. I mean, there was the possibility it'd affect my body in a negative way, but I was more concerned with the impacts on my strength. If I really did become as strong as a First, the Science Department would be after me no matter what deal I had made with Tseng. They'd want to know what made me tick.

"...I'm not _that _strong," I finally said. "I mean...they were impressed that I killed a strong monster without enhancements, but it really wasn't as big a deal as you think."

He raised his eyebrows, clearly on the edge of his figurative seat. "So you killed a monster, huh? What was it?"

"A Midgar Zolom." I tried to play it off casually, averting my gaze, but my words stopped Zack in his tracks.

_"What?" _He gaped. "You killed a Zolom? _Without _mako enhancements? No way!"

"I just got lucky!" I protested, backpedaling. "There was no way I could've killed it normally—it just gave me the opportunity when it tried to swallow me, and I stabbed it through the roof of its mouth. It was a last-ditch..." I trailed off when I saw that my words were having the opposite effect.

Zack's eyes were wide to the point of it being comical. "Wait, hold on. It tried to _swallow _you? You stabbed it—that's _awesome!" _

"...It's not..." I attempted feebly, but it was too late. That grin was back.

"Man, I never would've thought...I've _got _to see you fight now. This'll be great!"

I gave up, sighing, and followed him through the streets of the simulated Midgar. Maybe I'd just be better off keeping my mouth shut; I seemed to be digging myself in deeper with every word I uttered.

A few minutes passed with no results. It was strange seeing Midgar deserted, but that was just part of the simulation. It did at least make it easier to detect any potential enemies. We weren't having much luck right now, though.

"I _know _there's at least some..." Zack grumbled. "Okay, another minute. If that doesn't work, I'll abort the mission and we can fix the settings. But jeez, I don't think there's even a 'no monsters' setting on the sim..."

I didn't offer a reply, just frowning slightly and looking out over the city. I wasn't surprised, anyway; Zack hadn't seemed to know what he was doing from the get-go. He probably wasn't even supposed to be using this room, from his initial reaction to my arrival.

"So, uh...where're you from?" Damn, he was trying to make conversation again.

"...Mideel," I replied. It was kind of true.

"Mideel, huh..." He looked thoughtful for a second. "That's...to the south, right?"

"That's right."

"Sounds kinda backwater," he offered with a light grin. I shrugged, and his grin fell.

His expression was crushing my heart into a million tiny guilty pieces. Honestly, he fit the puppy role to a T. And right now, he was giving me a kicked-puppy look. He was trying so damn hard just to get me to crack a smile and come out of my shell, and I got the impression that he'd resort to any number of goofy tactics if it came down to it. Why the hell did he have to be so _cute?_ How could I not laugh or grin at that?

"So hey," he perked up _again, _apparently thinking of something else. "How about your sword? That isn't SOLDIER-issue. Can I see?"

I drew the blade in reply, holding it up in the light. He whistled in appreciation.

"Looks nice. Custom-made, or did you buy it?"

"Not really sure," I replied hesitantly. "My...my father gave it to me."

"Your dad, huh?" Zack looked back over at me, his eyes full of questions that I probably didn't want to answer. As soon as he opened his mouth, though, the ground rumbled and we both froze.

Then we both saw the looming mass coming around the corner of the nearest building.

"You're kidding me, right...?" I said, staring incredulously.

Behemoth really was a fitting name. This thing was _huge_. This monster was right up there with Malboros and Zoloms as far as difficult battles went, I remembered that much.

"Uh-oh." Thanks for the confidence boost, Zack.

"Did you set it to 'suicide' difficulty?" I asked dryly.

He started to reach into his pocket for his phone, presumably to abort the mission, but then he paused and glanced at the monster one more time. It was bearing down on us and growling rather threateningly.

Zack looked over at me, suddenly wearing a cocky grin. "You know what? I'm a Second, and you took down a _Midgar Zolom. _This should be a cinch for us!"

Of course. It wouldn't be like Zack to take the easy way out. Somehow, though, I didn't feel quite as dismayed as I should have. The thought of fighting alongside Zack was too tempting—even if it was against one of these beasts. It was just a simulation, right?

I _should _have been thinking of ways to avoid associating with him any more, and instead I was raring to go. It was too damn _easy _to get along with this guy. It took meeting Zack for me to realize just how lonely these past few weeks had been. I needed a friend—a _real _friend. But I couldn't...

"Here it comes!" Zack said, drawing his own blade as the Behemoth let out a deafening roar.

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and turned my focus to the monster, readying Kerberos. It looked like it was too late to do anything but fight, so I'd might as well enjoy the distraction while I could.

_Activating Combat Mode, _an automated female voice echoed from somewhere in the chamber, giving me a chill.

"Let's go!" the Second called, having way too much fun with this. I gritted my teeth and shot forward, and together we barreled towards the large beast.

* * *

Fighting in the simulations was a strange experience. It was obvious that they were made to replicate battle environments as closely as possible, but there were still some constant reminders of the fabricated nature of the system.

For one thing, pain could only be felt to a certain extent, because injuries acquired in the simulation vanished the moment it ended. The only way I could get a real wound right now would be if Zack were to attack me himself.

For another thing, I knew I couldn't die in here—so even though I was running straight at a Behemoth, I felt not an ounce of fear, only anticipation. If only I could be this brave in every battle.

The monster snarled and raised one huge paw, its claws easily a foot long. Zack immediately dodged out of the way and I followed his lead, ducking beneath the beast's forearm. The Second lashed out with his blade, managing to create a shallow gash in the Behemoth's side. Enraged, it leapt at him, and I had to dive to the side to avoid being trampled.

I rolled once and used the momentum to get back on my feet, sliding backwards a bit. This thing was so big; I didn't want to get within range unless I had a solid plan. Zack seemed perfectly comfortable just plunging in, but I saw immediately that he had a natural instinct for this sort of thing—he didn't even have to think about it, he just moved with the flow of battle.

The ground rumbled with the monster's every move. Okay, maybe I felt a _little _fear...it was hard not to be nervous to some extent when the simulation was so realistic. It was really hard to tell my brain one thing when my senses were picking up something completely different.

A little fear was good. It kept my heart pumping and my mind clear.

Zack was holding off the beast, his sword locked with its horns. He was strong, but not strong enough to bear the full brunt of the thing's weight; at this rate he was going to get his stomach gouged out. Okay, time to back him up.

There. The Behemoth's flank was unguarded, but I'd have to be mindful of its tail.

Readying Kerberos, I ran at the monster and leapt into the air, twisting to the left and slashing into its tough skin. Then I turned in midair, feeling the tingling heat of magic build up in my sword arm. I let it flow down the length of the blade, charging up my newly revised version of Hell Pyre.

Now I swung the sword in a vicious arc, sending a ball of flames directly into the wound I'd just inflicted. At the last minute I pulled my legs in closer to my body as the beast's tail swung past, missing me by inches. The monster was letting out an angry roar.

"Nice one!" Zack called with a thumbs-up, ducking casually under another claw swipe. I saw a flash as he readied his own materia, and the Behemoth was assaulted with a powerful lightning spell.

One thing I had learned was that some of my old techs were impossible to perform without my Exsphere; this world had its own equivalent of mana, but it wasn't manipulated in quite the same way, so I couldn't just go throwing Demon Fangs left and right like I used to. There was mana in my Exsphere, but I had a feeling it was in limited supply—it'd probably shatter like the unicorn horn if I relied on it. Back on Earth I had avoided using techs altogether.

Since I was so used to my fighting style, lately I had been trying to recreate my artes with the resources I had. I was ecstatic to find that Hell Pyre could be easily replicated with some fire materia, and it was even more powerful this way than it had been before. Now I just needed to find a way to do Hunting Beast, and I was set.

I gasped a little, evading a kick from the monster out of reflex. It growled menacingly and turned around, mouth opening wide with the intent of tearing my head off. Zack thrust his sword in the way and the Behemoth's jaws closed on it. Then ensued a crazy tug-of-war which eventually ended up in Zack getting tossed around like a rag doll. To his credit, the crazy bastard _held on._

I couldn't watch this. Scowling, I aimed a Fire spell at the creature's eyes; it wasn't extremely powerful, but the light was enough to cause the monster to lose focus. Zack managed to get grounded again and he ripped his blade free, immediately moving in to slash at the Behemoth's throat. It evaded the move and swiped out a paw, catching us both off guard and throwing us hard into the wall of the nearest building. I felt the bricks crack beneath the impact.

My head was spinning a little, but my mind was surprisingly clear despite the attack I'd just been hit with. Zack and I sported a pair of matching claw marks on our fronts; he pushed himself away from the wall, glancing over at me.

"You okay?"

"Fine," I replied, grimacing slightly. I concentrated for a second and then managed to cast a decent Cure spell on the both of us, already glad I had bought that All materia this morning to use with my Restore materia.

"Thanks," he said, and then the rumbling of the ground caught our attention. "Oh, crap!"

The Behemoth was barreling at us full-speed. Buildings on either side of us made it impossible to dodge—we were cornered. It was immediately obvious how this was going to end. Zack lifted his sword in a defensive pose, bracing himself against the wall behind us, and I copied the gesture even though I knew it was useless. I squeezed my eyes shut, anticipating pain.

It never came. Suddenly everything was deathly silent. I hesitantly cracked one eye open, and was shocked to see the monster frozen, its body mere feet away.

Then it shifted slightly, only to be thrown into the nearest building, its body crumpling as it hit the ground. The monster then lay still.

"Wh-What is this...?!"

That was Zack. My head jerked up, and I turned in time to see the cause of the Behemoth's demise—an extremely long, bloodied katana. Masamune. Which meant...

_The shadow with the wicked sword._

_Bodies everywhere, littering the streets, a world coated with blood._

_Murderous green eyes._

Bile rose in the back of my throat as the nightmares came back in full force, and I was confronted with the source of my fears. He stood tall and intimidating, not a single silver hair out of place.

Sephiroth.

"Careless," the man said, sparing a single glance towards the slain monster. "Taking your eyes off the enemy. Overconfidence will destroy you."

My heart was pounding in my ears. I fought to quell the sudden panic I felt at this man's appearance.

Zack just grimaced at the admonishment, lowering his sword slightly and saying nothing. Sephiroth smirked...and lunged forward.

Oh, _shit!_

The teen gaped, just barely throwing his sword up in time to block the attack. He was pushed backwards, his feet sliding on the pavement. Then he seemed to regain his composure and his eyes narrowed as he pushed back.

"You're not the only hero!"

Sephiroth didn't budge. He extended his arm and threw Zack off easily, lunging forward to attack again. Zack was on the defensive again, just barely keeping up. Masamune's long range made it impossible for him to retaliate and it was obvious the battle was going to be over in a matter of seconds.

Hold on, the way the General was holding his sword—that was preparation for a killing blow! Panic hit me in full force—Zack was going to _die, _I couldn't let Sephiroth do this, what the hell was going on, oh god—

I ran at Sephiroth, desperate to stop him from following through. I heard him chuckle and then suddenly he was facing me, those green eyes boring into mine. I remembered myself enough to dodge to the side and Masamune missed me by a hair's breadth.

Zack ran at his exposed back; Sephiroth fended him off easily without even _looking _at him, and then moved forward to attack me once more.

Fighting Sephiroth was like drowning. The blows just kept coming and every time I tried to find an opening, an opportunity to counterattack or at least _breathe, _he attacked with renewed force. Silver flashed at me from every angle and those _eyes _were locked on me, giving me the impression that he knew what I was going to do even before _I _did, and then I was skewered on Masamune and chucked to the side like a sack of potatoes.

"Brittany!" Zack yelled, and then he ran at Sephiroth as well. The silver General lashed out, clashing with the teen's sword with such force that the SOLDIER blade snapped in two and Zack flew backwards. He tumbled to the ground, wincing with pain.

"Fool..." Sephiroth murmured, slowly approaching the fallen Second. He lifted his sword, getting ready to deal the finishing blow.

Just as I opened my mouth to yell, another voice cut in.

"That's enough!"

That was Angeal! The older SOLDIER appeared seemingly out of nowhere, situating himself between Sephiroth and Zack. Surprisingly enough, Sephiroth backed off, lowering his sword without a word.

Scowling slightly, Angeal lifted up his phone and punched in a few commands. The words "MISSION ABORTED" appeared in midair before us, and then Sephiroth and the rest of the world were degenerating into a series of glowing codes and numbers that vanished nearly as quickly as they became visible.

We were back in the training room. The pain from my wound was gone completely. I sat up enough to make sure Zack was okay, and then flopped back down to the floor with a light groan.

Sephiroth had been part of the simulation. This entire thing had paralleled a scene from Crisis Core—why hadn't I seen that coming? But still, thank _god. _I had been genuinely terrified for a minute there. Those bad dreams were really starting to get to me.

"Angeal..."

A heavy sigh. "Zack, what have I told you about using the training room unsupervised?"

"Uh, don't do it?"

"The simulation can get out of hand if you're not completely familiar with the controls." Angeal scolded.

"But it's all fake, right? What's the problem?" the teen asked.

"This system relies on your mind to achieve realistic results. How everything looks and feels all depends on your own personal perceptions. It's not wise to test the limits of your mind by putting yourself in situations where you're bound to be overwhelmed."

"I...guess I understand." Zack frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. Angeal reached a hand out, helping the teen to his feet. Reluctantly, I stood as well, hoping I wouldn't also be part of the scolding.

The older SOLDIER turned to face me, inclining his head in acknowledgment. "...Brittany, isn't it? You've been in my training regiment for the past week."

"Yes, sir," I replied, straightening.

"She killed a _Zolom, _Angeal," Zack cut in, grinning excitedly.

"I'm aware," he said, rolling his eyes. Then he offered me a slight smile. "I hope Zack hasn't been giving you too much trouble."

"Not at all," I snorted, finding it impossible not to grin.

Zack's protest died on his lips as he stared at me in surprise, and I realized I was supposed to be acting serious and standoffish to keep him at an arm's length. Ugh...I _sucked _at this.

"...We were just trying a practice mission," the teen finally said. "Y'know, since I haven't seen her fight or anything yet. We could've completed it! I was just getting warmed up!"

Angeal just shook his head. "Don't start getting overconfident on me. Sephiroth's simulated counterpart might only be at an eighth of his actual strength, but it's still too much for you at this point."

I nearly choked. An _eighth?! _Then the real Sephiroth...

"Man..." Zack grumbled, put out.

The First looked at me again, sobering. "Well, hang in there, SOLDIER. It won't get any easier from here."

I smiled thinly, nodding. Oh, Angeal, if only you knew.

He began walking to the door, only stopping just before he reached it. "...And Zack."

"Yeah?"

"If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams...and honor."

With those last few words, he was gone. The door slid shut behind him, leaving us alone in the silent room.

"Huh..." Zack sighed. "What's that supposed to mean...?"

* * *

**A/N: I know some of you probably remembered Crisis Core and realized Seph was just a simulation...but for the others, I bet some serious bricks were shat. XD Psyyyyche! Don't worry, we'll be meeting him soon. He's just in Wutai right now.**

**Oh, Zack. You are so much fun to write. Poor OC Brit is having some trouble with the whole "don't get attached to people who will die" thing. Zack can't help how awesome he is! B-)**

**Next time: First mission. Exsphere. Disaster.**


	6. The Exsphere

**A/N: Sunday funday! Here's the new chapter. B-) Not much else to say here, so enjoy!**

* * *

After a moment of thought, the teen seemed to shrug it off, filing his mentor's words away for later consideration. He brightened, turning to me.

"Hey, sorry we got cut off like that. I guess I should practice more with the controls...I really wasn't expecting Sephiroth to show up like that. He's usually on the hardest settings."

"I didn't even know there _was _a simulated Sephiroth," I lied, sheathing Kerberos.

Zack shrugged. "The only people that can take his sim out are Angeal and that Genesis guy. Everyone tries, but he's just too tough, you know?" He grinned. "Well, someday I'll beat him. I'll have to if I'm gonna make First!"

"...Is Sephiroth in Wutai?" I asked.

The teen nodded. "Yeah, he's been there for two months now. Genesis just went as backup. I'm betting the war will be finished up pretty quickly now." His smile fell slightly. "Man...I'd been kind of hoping to go. Make a name for myself and all that..."

I averted my gaze, frowning. Suddenly I was very glad that Zack hadn't been deployed; he wouldn't have any innocent blood on his hands. Shinra couldn't mislead him to kill an enemy he really knew nothing about.

"Well, you don't have to go to war to do that," I offered, finally looking back up at him. At the look on his face, I couldn't resist the urge to try and cheer him up. I shrugged, smiling. "Besides, you wouldn't get a chance. I bet Sephiroth and Genesis are glory hogs anyway."

His laughter was as infectious as his smile. "Yeah, no kidding!"

We exited the training room, the door sliding shut behind us as we walked out into the hallway. Late afternoon was melting into early evening; the large windows in the lounge revealed that the sky over Midgar was turning a pinkish-orange.

My smile fell slightly. Tomorrow...my first assignment loomed closer. I wasn't overly concerned about that, but what about what happened afterwards? How long was I going to let this go on? When would I get to go home?

"Hey, I almost forgot." Zack stepped into my line of vision, forcing me back into the present. "What's your schedule for today, anyway?"

"Off duty," I replied. "Tomorrow's my first mission."

"So you're free for dinner then?" He asked. "Why don't we grab a bite to eat? My treat."

Mini panic attack. How to avoid social interaction? Jesus! I needed to prepare excuses in advance! And worse yet—I knew Zack was the flirty type, but was he asking me on a _date? _It was hard to tell from his casual tone, but I had to seriously hope not.

_Please just see me as one of the guys, _I thought. _A really feminine looking guy...with boobs. _

I averted my gaze. "I've still got a few things to get done before tomorrow. Sorry."

Saying it felt awful, mostly because I _wanted _to accept his invitation. He was so easy to talk to and get along with, and it had been so long since I had met someone that I felt I could really relate to. I had gotten along with a lot of people back home, but as far as deep friendships went, ever since Sylvarant I found myself painfully lacking. And in this place I barely even had friendly acquaintances. At least at home I'd had my family, if nothing else.

Zack frowned. "Oh, right. That's okay, no big deal. I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," I replied unhappily, rubbing the back of my neck. "I—"

"Buttering up the Seconds now? You're pathetic." A new, very unwelcome voice cut me off.

I glanced up. The glance quickly turned into a glare. "...Jace."

He was sauntering up from the direction of the elevators; he must've been out doing something for part of the day, which explained why he had waited till now to grace the SOLDIER floor with his presence.

The man smirked cruelly, his snakelike eyes gliding over my form and making me feel dirty. "The higher classes have better things to do than talk to the likes of you. If you think you can fuck your way to First, you have another thing coming, hun."

"What was that?" Zack stepped in front of me, livid. "What's _wrong _with you? That's no way to talk to a girl!"

To Zack's credit, Jace actually backed off, surprised. The asshole had expected backup, for crying out loud.

"I don't know what the hell your problem is," the Second continued, eyes flashing, "but—"

"Zack." I cut him off, my heart pounding. Surprised, he looked over at me.

I wasn't going to lie—it felt _really _good to have someone finally stick up for me like that, to make Jace look like he'd been slapped. Getting chewed out by a Second was no joke. But still, having a man defend me would just reinforce my 'victim' image, and I needed the people here to take me seriously. I didn't need anyone fighting my battles for me.

"Let me handle this," I murmured.

I looked at Jace, and felt white-hot anger build in my stomach. Fuck my way to First, eh...that was a new one. I was sick of this bullshit. I was _not fucking weak._ Maybe I didn't have military experience, but I had infiltrated bases, fought monsters, dueled angels, and endured countless physical and mental trials. I hadn't risked everything and clawed my way to this point just to be called pathetic by some dumbass with a superiority complex.

Now that Zack had actually backed off, Jace's confidence returned. He offered me a patronizing smile. "What is it, babe? Need to get something off your chest?"

"Listen, asshole," I started.

"Hoo boy, here we go," he instantly said, snorting.

I responded by grabbing the front of his uniform, yanking him forward and then slamming him into the wall once he was off balance. The man gaped, taken completely off guard.

I was not the overly assertive type. I wasn't a fan of confrontations. But I could honestly say that after facing Yggdrasill, I wasn't going to be intimidated by some low-class SOLDIER. Sephiroth, maybe, but this guy? No chance in hell.

"Every time you open your mouth, I want to reach in, rip out your intestines and _strangle _you with them," I seethed. "I'm completely out of patience. Fight me, right now. First to draw blood wins. Loser has to go back to his douchebag friends and admit what a tool he really is. In case you don't get it, you're going to lose."

For a moment the man just stared at me in shock, but he seemed to regain his bearings enough to shove me away.

"You're gonna regret this," he said in a warning tone, his eyes flashing.

"If I'm gonna regret anything, it'll be that I didn't kick your ass hard enough," I shot back.

"Whoa, whoa." Zack jumped in, holding his hands up. "Are you guys serious? Look..."

"First to draw blood, right?" Jace said, not tearing his eyes from me.

The Second made a face, and then sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll oversee the match. Let's get back into the training room."

* * *

As it turned out, my first mission was fairly simple—an extensive monster extermination in the slums, similar to Kunsel's mission from yesterday. He informed me that this one was going to be a bit trickier, so we'd have to be on our toes.

When he told me we would be going to a train station, I nearly died of a nostalgia attack. Thankfully I survived, and now we were heading down to the Sector 7 slums. If it was in the slums, that meant it couldn't be the station from the game, at least.

"This shouldn't take more than a few hours between the two of us," Kunsel noted, checking the time on his phone. He had donned his helmet once more so I couldn't see the look in his eyes, but I couldn't miss the way his lips quirked up. "Your first few missions won't be too tough. The Director's still keeping an eye on you, at least until Sephiroth and Commander Rhapsodos get back."

"I don't get it," I said, stretching as we walked along. Privately I tried to figure out what Kunsel was finding so amusing. "I've been training under Angeal just like everyone else. Why's Lazard still breathing down my neck?"

He glanced over at me briefly and then returned his attention to the dirt road ahead. "All of your tests came back fine, but I guess there's some concern over how the mako will affect you considering your gender. I'm surprised the Science Department hasn't called you back yet."

I shook my head. "That was one of my conditions on joining SOLDIER. No more tests."

"Really?" Kunsel frowned. "You sure that's for the best? I mean, I get it, but…you _are _sort of a guinea pig."

That nearly made me scowl; at least he hadn't said 'test rat.' "I'd rather not be. But if the mako's gonna kill me or something, better out here than in the labs."

"That's a pretty grim outlook," the Second remarked, seeming to stare at me for a moment.

I kept my gaze focused straight ahead, just shrugging in reply. It wasn't really something I wanted to elaborate on. He would understand in time.

"Over here." Kunsel let the subject slide, instead guiding me into the outskirts of the sector. I could see train tracks now; the station had to be close by.

"By the way, I heard about what happened yesterday."

I cringed involuntarily and snuck a glance at him, only to see that smile on his face again. Now I understood where his amusement had come from earlier. At least he was okay with me tearing Jace a new one.

"Yeah, about that…"

"Zack said you won fair and square," he offered.

"That's not what Jace is telling everyone," I muttered with a scowl.

I wasn't gonna deny it—it had been extremely gratifying at first to let out all of my pent-up anger at the guy. But in the end, like all impulsive decisions, it had just made things worse.

We had fought, one-on-one, with no simulation going. Just the training room and Zack standing to the side with his arms crossed, ready to intervene if things got out of hand. Jace hadn't been a bad fighter by any means—he had all the necessary training and skill to become a Third. But he hadn't been a Third for much longer than me.

In the end my advantage had come from experience. All that time fighting Cruxis and the Desians had paid off in the end. And although I had received some military training since joining, my fighting style was comparable to Kratos, and completely different from that of a typical SOLIDER operative. It had thrown Jace off-balance, and that combined with my already acquired skills had quickly given me the upper hand.

The battle didn't last very long. Jace eventually left an opening and I lunged for it, giving him a shallow cut, and Zack called an end to the match.

It was also gratifying, to an extent, to see the look of pure indignant anger in his eyes. Of course, he immediately sputtered some excuse—that I'd cheated or something—and walked out. But looking back, I knew now that I hadn't done myself any favors. That look in his eyes…I had wounded his pride. He was going to take it personally now. Which meant my dealings with Asshole Jace were probably about to get much, much worse.

"Don't worry too much about it," Kunsel said, interrupting my thoughts. "Zack used to get some trouble because Lieutenant Hewley is his mentor; you know, people thinking he was playing favorites and all that. Once the initial rumors die down, everyone kind of forgets about it."

"Hm…hopefully," I mumbled. Speaking of Angeal…

_"Ha! Did you see the look on his face? That was great! Nice and clean, too—you're pretty good. I was worried that jerk was gonna gouge you on purpose."_

_"He probably would've if I had let him."_

_"No kidding. Hey, you showed him, yeah? I don't know how many of the guys have been giving you trouble, but this ought to shut them up."_

_"Maybe."_

_"Hey, maybe you should—huh? Oh, Angeal, back already? What're you…wait, it's not what it looks like!"_

Needless to say, we had both gotten quite a long lecture. One of the Seconds had tipped him off—said something about being annoyed that people kept hogging the training room. Angeal was less than pleased that his student had blatantly ignored him. It took a little while to convince him that we hadn't actually been using the training room's VR.

Throughout the entire lecture, whenever Zack thought Angeal wasn't looking, he kept sneaking me these hilarious conspiratorial glances. He was such a kid.

…Oh, Jesus. Just thinking about it now made me want to grin. This was impossible; I wanted to keep myself distanced from the guy, but if I ended up having to work with him, there was no way. I was _bad _at maintaining the cold, aloof persona, especially when someone like him came along and took it in stride. Most people back home would've just written me off as a bitch and left me alone.

"Well, this is the old station," Kunsel remarked, pausing and looking around. We had already passed a platform; what was before us looked more like a dump than anything else. There were old, run-down trains everywhere, littering tracks that looked like they hadn't been used in a while.

"The Train Graveyard…?" I murmured before I could stop myself.

My companion smiled a bit. "So you've heard the little nickname that's been going around. This used to be an actual stop up until a year or two ago. Then there was a big construction accident next door in Sector 6; these tracks don't lead anywhere anymore."

"They didn't just repair it?" I asked, curious. It was strange, hearing about these events now; by the time of the events in FFVII, it had seemed like the Train Graveyard had been there for a while. I had never really considered how it came to be.

Kunsel shook his head. "Not with the war going on, no. Sector 6 construction has been halted for a while; Shinra's focusing their resources elsewhere. In the meantime, this place has fallen into some serious disrepair. Unfortunately, all of the old trains make the perfect hiding places for monsters. That's where we come in."

"The cleanup crew, huh?" I drew my sword, rolling my shoulders a bit to work any stiffness out of the muscles.

"You could call it that," he replied with a smile, pulling out his blade from its magnetic holster.

We entered the maze of trains, moving slowly. They were in various stages of disrepair; the deeper in we moved, the older and uglier they got. Some of them were covered in graffiti, the windows smashed in; eventually even those dwindled out, though. Even troublemaking teenagers weren't willing to go in too far.

"Keep on guard now," Kunsel advised in a low voice. "Easy to get ambushed around here."

I nodded, noting the dark windows of the trains around us. Too many hiding places.

It wasn't long before we heard growling. A pack of indigo colored, wolf-like creatures surrounded us, their eyes glowing red. Each one of them had a long, whip-like tentacle growing from their backs; I vaguely remembered their appearance, but it was strangely nostalgic to see them in reality.

"Guard Hounds," Kunsel murmured. "Easy enough."

"Well, let's get this over with," I said, and lunged to the left end of the pack.

Four of the monsters saw my movement and reacted in turn, leaping. I dropped into a slide at the last second, falling below their fangs and claws, and then used my momentum to swing around and get back to my feet. With their flanks exposed, the beasts were then open to the fire attack I threw their way. One of them fell instantly; the other three were taken off guard, tripping over each other and snarling.

Kunsel, meanwhile, had dodged out of the way and taken on four of his own. He threw two off with a single powerful sweep of his sword, using Bio to distract the others. In less than two minutes, all eight of the beasts were down, and Kunsel and I were none the worse for wear.

As we brushed ourselves off and continued onward, I had to fight a grin. What a difference…what a difference from the way things had been back then. I had really improved since my days of fighting giant grasshoppers and the like. These kinds of monsters were nothing now.

"What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?" I asked. "Do we have some kind of quota to meet?"

Kunsel shook his head. "Sometimes that's how it works, but not today. An Eligor has been sighted around here; they're particularly troublesome, so we've been ordered to dispatch it before it starts causing problems."

"Eligor…?" I frowned. It didn't ring a bell.

"It's a specter riding on the back of a beast," the Second said. "I guess that's the best way to describe it. They're not exactly on par with your other kills, but they're definitely of the nastier breed. They use Sleepel and Silence, so I hope you've got some remedies on you."

"Yeah, I'm stocked up," I said, patting my bag. I had purchased a smaller one yesterday morning for short-term missions, just so I could carry the absolute necessities.

Onward we went. Even though we were here in broad daylight, I couldn't help but find this place a bit creepy. It was still pretty dark down here due to the plate being overhead, and the bulk of the trains created shadows everywhere. I remembered getting lost down here on both of my playthroughs of FFVII.

Eligor, Eligor…had I ever fought one of those? The name didn't ring a bell, but I must've, right? Hopefully the fact that I didn't remember it meant it was unremarkable and not too difficult to beat. The mention of status effects made me cringe, though. I'd had enough of that with that stupid Malboro.

We fought a few more packs of Guard Hounds, dispatching them with relative ease. There were also some flying lizard-like creatures—Deenglows, Kunsel called them—that we had to take out, but they were more annoying than anything else.

When the monster finally showed itself, it did so by crashing through the side of a train and scaring the living hell out of me.

Kunsel and I dove out of the way, readying our weapons. I saw now that Kunsel's description had been accurate; though it wasn't a monster that really stood out in my mind, it did look vaguely familiar. The specter stared us down with a single menacing red eye before delivering a swift kick to its steed, sending it running right at us.

While I readied a Fire spell (I was really trying to get the hang of materia), Kunsel lunged. Despite the monster's size, he managed to hold his own. Of course, I got a little concerned the minute it started shooting lasers at him. Dammit, Final Fantasy…

Right, so it was time to give him some backup. I raised one hand, pleased to see it glowing with red magic. Materia was actually pretty—

_Da-da-da-da daaa da da-da-daaaa!_

Huh? Shut up, phone! I haven't won the battle yet!

It rang again in reply, breaking my hold over the spell, and I nearly swore. Jeez, that was what I got for setting Victory Fanfare as a custom ringtone on my phone…my dumb inside jokes always managed to bite me in the ass.

Frustrated, I glanced up to make sure my companion was holding up all right, and then I checked the phone to see who was calling.

_Director Lazard_, the screen told me. Wait, what? I had his number, yeah, but I hadn't even met him yet—what could he want? He had to know I was on a mission…

Gritting my teeth, I flipped the phone open and answered.

"Hello?"

_"Ah, I'm glad I caught you. Kunsel hasn't been answering."_

"He's a little preoccupied right now, sir," I said, feeling horribly useless standing on the sidelines like this.

_"I see,"_ Lazard replied. _"I'll get right to the point then. New mission objective—return to headquarters immediately."_

"What?" I gaped in disbelief. A little late to be telling us that! "Director, we're already—"

_"Use an Exit materia—it can wait. We have a monster loose on the SOLDIER floor, and the rest of the Seconds are on missions. Angeal will be there shortly; hold it off until he arrives. Understood?"_

I had a lot of questions, but his tone clearly communicated the urgency of the situation. I managed a quiet "Yes, sir" and hung up.

"What is it?" Kunsel called. He had managed to wound the Eligor's steed, but the monster was being annoyingly persistent.

"Monster loose in headquarters," I yelled back. "Forget the Eligor. Director's orders."

He nodded, one of his hands glowing immediately as he powered up a spell. He jumped backwards to avoid an attack, and then cast Stop. The Eligor froze in place and the SOLDIER rushed over to me.

"That's not gonna hold," he said with a scowl, noticing how the monster was already starting to shift a bit. "Do you still have that materia I gave you?"

"Already on it," I replied, remembering Lazard's words. I closed my eyes, concentrating for a moment and focusing my mind's eye on a train stop I remembered passing on the way here. It should be close enough to work…

I gave the Exit materia a mental push, casting Escape. The world around us faded as we were enveloped in a cool blue-green light. Wow…that was pretty cool. Better than the warps I'd used so much in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla—this didn't make my stomach want to empty itself.

When the light faded, we were in the place I had focused on. Here we would be able to board the train and make our way back up above the plate.

"Not bad." Kunsel nodded approvingly. "You've been practicing, haven't you?"

"Some," I replied.

Of course I'd been practicing; not only was it cool to be able to use magic, but there were some things that I _needed _to be able to do if I was going to be flying solo. Fleeing battles that I couldn't win was one of them; being able to heal myself was another. I was definitely going to master those two materia as soon as I could, even if it meant hours of grueling practice and the headaches and mental fatigue that followed.

"Keep it up. Exit materia has saved me quite a few times."

Kunsel was about to say something else, but the sound of the approaching train cut us off. The trains through Midgar ran like a sort of subway system; they didn't go down below plate quite so often, but this time of day there were shuttles every twenty minutes. We had gotten lucky and arrived here right on time.

The guard on the platform didn't even ask for ID; our eyes and gear were enough. He waved us on.

While I stood to one side, gripping an overhead bar for support, Kunsel walked to the front of the train and started punching some things in to a terminal. There didn't seem to be a cab for an engineer to sit in, which led me to believe this train was entirely automated.

When he was finished, he came to stand next to me, and a female voice came on over the speaker.

_"Attention passengers: new priority first stop—Sector 8 station, upper city."_

"You reprogrammed it?" I asked.

He nodded. "Firsts and Seconds have clearance for this sort of thing, but only if our orders call for it. If there's a monster loose in HQ, we can't afford to waste any time."

I nodded. "Right."

Since the train had been rerouted, it only took us just under ten minutes to get back to Sector 8. From there we ran the short distance to headquarters, moving straight to the elevators.

"The SOLDIER floor?" Kunsel frowned when I pressed the button on the elevator. "I wonder how something managed to get up there."

I shook my head. "The Director didn't say…but are we really spread this thin that he needs to call us in from a mission?"

"Yeah, we've got a bunch of Thirds out on a training exercise, and a lot of our forces are still in Wutai," he replied with a frown. "You said Lieutenant Hewley is heading here?"

"Mm. We're supposed to hold it off until then."

"Just how strong _is _this thing?" His frown grew. "I'd get ready if I were you. If Lazard's calling in a First, we'd better prepare for the worst."

The light above the elevator doors moved closer and closer to the forty-ninth floor. We drew our weapons, tensing up. What could possibly be waiting for us up there? It would've been nice if the Director had told me what type of monster it was.

Finally the doors opened, revealing a clear view of the hallway. The first thing I registered were some blood spatters on the floor; they belonged to an unfortunate SOLDIER Third that was leaning against the wall nearby.

"Shit! Are you okay?" I ran up to him, shocked at the amount of blood gushing out of the wound on his shoulder. I immediately began powering up a Cure spell.

"J-Jace…" He choked. I realized with a shock that it was Brad.

"Jace? What about him?" I pressed, my hand flashing with pale blue light as I fed the healing spell into his wound. Our animosity didn't matter; I didn't like Jace or his friends, but that didn't mean I was going to let them _die._

Brad opened his mouth again, but only coughed a little before collapsing.

"Damn," Kunsel muttered, kneeling over him and pressing a hand to his wound. "That's not pretty. Still bleeding…my Restore materia's not mastered. We won't be able to close a wound this big."

"I've got some bandages in my room," I offered. "That should hold until we can get him to the infirmary, right?"

He nodded. "Go. I'll wait here—if you see our monster friend, come back here. Don't fight it."

"Got it," I said, and took off at a run. My room wasn't far from here; I ran down towards the lounge, turning off into the next hallway.

I was at the door within a minute. I reached into my pocket to grab my card so I could scan it, only to discover that my door was already cracked open a bit. What the…?

Nervous, I pushed it open a little more and reached in to turn on the light. The room was empty.

Maybe I had left it open this morning? That didn't sound like me…

It didn't matter. Shaking my head to clear it, I walked over to the spot beside my bed where I always kept my old EMS bag—

Oh.

Oh, _shit._

It wasn't here. Where was it? Where the _fuck _was my bag?! Not good, not good, not good!

Panicking, I immediately began tearing through the covers on my bed, searching in the bathroom, beneath the desk. It was nowhere to be found. The door had been open…someone had taken it? But who?

My heartbeat was escalating out of control. The Turks. They must've gotten suspicious and come in here to search my things—what would they think when they found my Earth identification? It was over. It was all over. They were going to—

I shook my head again. Stop thinking about it. There was still the monster to deal with; after that I could freak out, but the last thing I needed was for this thing to come kill me while I had a panic attack in here.

Bandages. I had some extras in one of my desk drawers. Not enough to redress the wound if it bled through, but this would have to suffice. Just something to stop him from dying. If Jace was hurt too, though…hopefully he wouldn't need these.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the bandages and ran back out the door.

Kunsel was waiting in the same spot when I returned. He nodded to me, taking the bandages and doing the best he could to dress the wound. Then he dragged Brad over to the door that led to the briefing room, leaving him just inside the antechamber where he would be out of harm's way.

"All right," he said. "Let's go track this thing down."

It didn't take long. We just followed the blood trails; there were a few other fallen SOLDIERs, but thankfully none of them were as badly wounded as Brad had been. We did our best to heal them up, and they told us which way they had seen the beast go.

"Be careful," one Third told us. "It's…it's way stronger than it looks."

"Noted," Kunsel replied. We nodded at each other and moved on.

Our search eventually led us to the hallway containing the Third Class barracks. There were slash marks along the walls. I shifted my grip on Kerberos, tensing. Somewhere…I could hear the sound of dragging footsteps…

A dark shadow appeared around the corner.

"There," Kunsel hissed, dropping into a battle-ready position.

We watched as the shadow grew, the footsteps becoming louder. I heard the sound of a long, low groan, and my blood ran cold. A _groan? _That wasn't what I had been expecting…it almost sounded familiar—

The monster came into view. I grew very still, shock flooding through me, threatening to shatter my composure.

It was a tall, exaggerated humanoid shape. Its forearms were too long, knuckles dragging along the ground as it walked. It had skin that was deep green in color, run through with sickly yellow veins. The digits on its hands and feet ended in sharp claws.

Exbelua.

_Who?! _My mind screamed. The single eye on the creature's head glowed blue with Mako. The veins clustered around a single point on the monster's hand, where a deep blue gem rested. My Exsphere.

Then I remembered how Brad had mentioned Jace. He hadn't been talking about Jace getting hurt, had he? He had meant…

The events that had surely transpired flashed through my mind as clearly as if I had been there. Jace, out for revenge, breaking into my room. Taking my bag. Snooping through my things. Picking up the Exsphere, having it fuse to his skin, foolishly trying to take it _off—_only to…to…

My first thought was that this was entirely my fault.

My second…

"What _is _that?" Kunsel murmured, watching as the monster drew closer. "I've never seen or heard about anything like it. It looks almost…is that a SOLDIER uniform it's wearing?!"

My second thought was a single, crystal-clear image of Genesis. The unicorn horn. What was and what could have been. In saving one life, I had damned another.

My fault.

I opened my mouth, couldn't find any words, and closed it again. What could I say? I knew exactly what this was, but couldn't explain how. Dread settled in my stomach. My sword suddenly felt immensely heavy.

"Looks like it," I said in a very quiet voice.

Kunsel shook his head. "I don't know what this is…but let's play it safe until the First gets here."

I nodded. The Exbelua—_Jace—_came closer and let out another groan, and I felt sick. He sounded like he was in pain. No, no, no…

Then he lifted one arm, drawing it back. I instinctively backed away, but my companion braced himself and lifted his sword. My eyes widened as a sudden thought hit me—an Exsphere on a SOLDIER. That explained why we needed a First…

_"Kunsel!" _I yelled frantically, but it was too late.

The Exbelua swung, hitting Kunsel so hard that he lost grip of his sword and went flying. He flew all the way to the other end of the hallway, hitting the wall hard enough to leave a mark. He slid to the floor, dazed.

Swearing, I turned back to Jace, noting squeamishly that the SOLDIER-issue blade was now embedded in his arm.

He lumbered closer. I knew he was going to attack again soon. What could I do? There was no cure. No cure without the unicorn horn. Was I just supposed to…

He swung again, and I jumped backwards to avoid the attack. Kunsel was still conscious, but gathering his bearings. I needed to hold Jace off while he recovered.

Gathering my resolve, I powered up a Fire spell and fed the magic into my sword. Then I swiped the blade out, delivering a fire-charged Demon Fang. It hit Jace dead on, but he just kept lumbering forward.

Another swing, this time with the wounded arm. I had to dodge out of the way as the sword came dislodged in a spray of blood, flying in a dangerous arc through the air. Kunsel rolled to the side just in time and avoided being hit with the blade as it collided with the wall behind him.

Gritting my teeth, I ducked under one of his attacks and thrust Kerberos out, catching it on the side and only managing a shallow cut. I winced when I saw the blood, feeling a stab of guilt—and then I was hit hard and slammed into the wall.

Jace loomed over me, and I understood then that I had intentionally missed, redirecting my sword so that the wound wouldn't be life threatening. I was being too soft and now I had put myself in a vulnerable position. He was going to kill me and I deserved it for letting this happen. Christ…

He was drawing back his arm, and I could see his long, deadly claws flex. It was over.

Then he froze. I heard running footsteps. One second he was about to kill me, and the next he was being hit with a wall of metal, being knocked back. Angeal was in front of me, twisting the Buster Sword to hit with the flat end of the blade, delivering a hard hit to the Exbelua's head. Jace screeched and stumbled backwards.

"Are you all right?" the SOLDIER asked without taking his eyes off his opponent.

"Fine," I croaked, getting to my feet. Kunsel caught up to us then, ripping his helmet off and throwing it to the floor. It had a dent and a large crack in the metal.

"Do you have any idea what this is, sir?" the Second asked, grimacing a little.

Angeal shook his head. "Not a clue. It has…SOLDIER eyes…?" His face darkened. "Could it be…"

He didn't finish the thought, instead straightening his posture and holding the Buster Sword vertically in front of him. He bowed his head to it, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened his eyes once more, they were hard.

"I'll take care of this," he said. "Kunsel, cover me if I need it. Brittany, tend to the wounded. When you're finished, I'm trusting you to report to Director Lazard and ensure his safety until this is over. Understood?"

"Yessir," I said. His tone left no room for argument, and there was no way I _could _argue without looking suspicious...but all I could think about was Jace. Nobody knew that was him. What if I left and Angeal—

I turned and ran. I ran away from the situation because I knew there was no other way it could end. There was no cure, and Jace was going to die. I had hated him, but this whole thing left me with an awful, sick feeling in my stomach.

…And despite my nausea, before I even entertained the thought of treating the wounded, my mind pounced on the idea of damage control. I sprinted for the opposite end of the Third Class barracks, where I knew Jace's room was, and where the slash marks on the wall started. His door was torn off completely, lying in a dented, crumpled heap on the floor twenty feet away.

I looked around, checking for cameras. There was one at the corner between hallways, but it wasn't pointed at me. I gritted my teeth and ran into Jace's room, immediately finding my bag and ripping it off the bed. A quick survey of the room revealed that nothing of mine seemed to be scattered around. Nodding to myself, I quickly left the scene and ran as fast as I could to where I knew Brad was lying unconscious.

For the next hour, I allowed my thoughts to be consumed entirely by what I was doing. I took SOLDIER after SOLDIER to the infirmary, throwing them over my shoulder and running at full speed. By the time the job was finally done, I was covered in other people's blood.

Of course, I wasn't done yet. I got on the elevator and pressed the button for the fifty-first floor. Time to report to Lazard…what a nightmare this day had become.

* * *

**A/N: And of course, we all know that it's about to get worse, because OC Brit is forgetting one crucial thing here. B-) Not that there's much she can do about it at this point anyway!**

**Review and maybe I won't ship you off as a sample to the Science Department 8D**

**Next time: Debriefing. Turks. The war ends.**


	7. Aftermath

**A/N: Sorry it's late, guys! I had a bit of a hectic weekend (understatement). Last chapter was almost the end of the stuff I had pre-written. I wrote about half this chapter in the past week, and a quarter of it in the last few hours. Whew...**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"…I see."

So that was all the input Lazard had? Well, that was awfully helpful. His anticlimactic reaction and the surprising quietness of the room made my jittery nerves all the more noticeable. I stood at attention, my back straight, my face forced into a neutral expression as I stared at a spot just above the Director's head. It took all I had to keep from shaking with the adrenaline still running through my system.

"At ease," he said, and I let my posture relax. He laced his fingers together, leaning his elbows on his desk and watching me. "…Brittany, is it? I'm sorry our first meeting had to be like this. You've done well."

"Ah…thank you, sir," I said, though I didn't feel any pleasure at the praise.

I had come here as instructed, delivering my report as calmly as I could and detailing what had happened from the start of the mission. When I left out all of the details involving Jace and my Exsphere, the story ended up being surprisingly short. All I was supposed to know was that the monster was abnormally strong.

After a beat, Lazard sighed and pushed away from the desk so he could stand up. "…This is troubling indeed. On the rare occasions HQ has been breached, the damage has never been this serious. Fifteen men injured and one missing…and SOLDIERs nonetheless. I'll be very interested to find out where this monster came from."

I remained silent, thinking this over. What would Shinra do when the Exbelua was found out to be Jace? Not try to save him, surely. Kill him and perform some big coverup? No…too many men had seen him, that wouldn't work.

"What happens now, Director?" I asked, knowing the question would be expected.

He adjusted his glasses, seeming to think for a moment. "I've recalled a few others from their missions; they should be here shortly. We'll have to secure the SOLDIER floor. Heidegger has already issued orders to the Security Department; the rest of the building should be safe for now. I'd prefer to get this mess sorted out before the Turks arrive."

At that, his phone began to ring. He frowned, checking the screen, and then some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to disappear. He lifted it to his ear and answered.

"Angeal. Your timing is impeccable. What is your situation?"

I shifted a little, waiting and wishing I could make out the other end of the conversation. Nothing in Lazard's expression betrayed his thoughts or what might be going on. He was too collected for that.

"Hmm…yes. Please remain where you are. I'd like to see it for myself." He paused, and then smiled slightly. "Yes, yes, there's no need to worry. She's right here."

Oh, Angeal was asking about me. What, did he think I had run off? Maybe he had seen something in my expression as I had left. I was still feeling a little sick from the whole ordeal.

Lazard spoke for a few more seconds, exchanging some short phrases before finally saying goodbye. Then he turned to look at me, nodding a little.

"Angeal and Kunsel seem to have things under control. I'd like you to accompany me to meet them."

"Ah…yes. Of course," I straightened, apprehension weighing down on me once more. "Shall we go?"

He smiled a bit. "Lead the way, SOLIDER."

* * *

The SOLDIER floor felt eerie with so few people populating it. Occasionally I would see a Third run by, hoisting some piece of equipment in an attempt to straighten things out and make the halls more accessible. Other than that…well, with all the blood smeared everywhere, it felt almost like a certain scene from the game.

I led the director towards the Third Class barracks, where I had left Angeal and Kunsel earlier. As it turned out, the battle had ended not too far from where that was; eventually I saw the familiar figures, standing around a large figure that was sprawled on the floor.

The First nodded. "The rest of the floor seems to be clear."

"Is this our monster?" Lazard asked, walking closer. We came to stand in a rough circle around the fallen Exbelua. "It's smaller than I was expecting."

"But it packs quite a punch," Kunsel remarked.

I remained silent, staring down at the warped figure that Jace had become. Angeal looked a little winded, but the elite SOLDIER had definitely done quite a number on him; the floor was covered in crimson smears. It was enough to make me feel sick all over again.

That was when I noticed that the Exbelua was still breathing. Angeal had never dealt the finishing blow. Why?

"It's still alive?" Lazard voiced my thoughts, his brow furrowing slightly.

Angeal grimaced and averted his gaze. "Sir…_look _at it. I can't help but feel like there's something I'm missing, and I don't like it."

The Director frowned, approaching Jace carefully and examining him more closely. "…Clothes…? A SOLDIER uniform…?"

"It's even humanoid in shape," Kunsel said, his voice grim.

Lazard straightened, backing away a step and staring at the Exbelua thoughtfully. "If that's the case," he murmured, "that _would _explain how this floor was breached…"

Jace groaned weakly, shifting on the floor. We all took another step back to get out of his range. After a beat, he fell silent and still once more.

"What should we do with it, then?" Kunsel asked. "If…if that's somehow one of ours, do you think there's a way—"

He was cut off by the sound of a gunshot. We all jumped, and I looked down just in time to see the side of Jace's head disappear in a shower of red. The abruptness of it felt like a punch in the gut, and my head snapped up as I searched for the source of the shot.

The smoking gun belonged to Tseng. He was walking up to us alongside another male Turk with dirty blond hair, the two of them impeccably dressed in the usual suits. They were so unruffled by all of this that it made them seem almost out of place, apart from the chaos.

"You—!" For the first time, I saw Angeal lose his composure as shock and indignation flashed in his eyes. Then it was gone and he immediately cut himself off, gritting his teeth with frustration instead.

"Regardless of whether or not it was once SOLDIER…" Tseng holstered the gun, fixing us all with a flat stare. "…We cannot afford to further compromise the safety of the building. The creature was far too dangerous to be allowed to live."

His cold words flooded me with a feeling of helplessness, and I wanted to scream. How merciless…to kill Jace like that, despite knowing that he might be killing a human being. This was the reality of the Turks.

Jace was dead. So swiftly. I had known this was coming, had known it was inevitable, but that didn't make it any less sickening. How meaningless this all was…all because I had lost sight of my Exsphere for so short a period of time. I had never truly considered the amount of damage that thing could do in the wrong hands.

…In the wrong hands. I froze up, seeing the situation in an entirely new light.

"…I see," Director Lazard said quietly. "You'll be taking things from here, I presume?"

Tseng nodded. "Please cordon off this area. The Science Department will arrive shortly to collect the body. We should be finished with our investigation by nightfall, but I will notify you should complications arise."

"Very well." Lazard nodded, and then turned to us. "I'll leave you three to do one last patrol of the floor. Meet me in my office in one hour for the mission debriefing."

"Sir," Kunsel and I said in unison. Angeal nodded, looking just a bit weary.

And that was that. Lazard walked away, leaving the area. Angeal was motioning for Kunsel and I to follow him. I hesitated, staring at Jace's corpse and feeling faintly dizzy.

The Science Department. Of course they would want to take the Exbelua and dissect it and do all sorts of awful things to it. But I couldn't let them—if they took Jace, they were taking my Exsphere, too. If they had that…if _Hojo _got ahold of that…

Fuck. Tseng was watching me.

Feeling cold, I turned and followed Kunsel and Angeal. There was absolutely nothing I could do, not with two Turks standing right there. And even if I did make some move for the Exsphere, the two SOLDIERs with me would probably try to stop me too. I'd only succeed in making myself look crazy and arousing even more suspicion.

Shit, shit, _shit!_

Despite my inner turmoil, all I could do was follow my two superiors and try to pretend everything was just fine.

The place seemed too quiet. The lights in the hallway were too bright. I kept my eyes focused on the backs of my companions, reminding myself to keep my feet moving while I fought to think of a solution to this. And all the while, I had the image of Jace's face in my head, reminding me of what could never be reversed.

He had been a bastard…but he'd also had his whole life ahead of him. Who was to say he wouldn't have changed at some point, become a person I could be friends with? There was no telling, and now his future was lost forever. I had killed before, and I had seen people die…but this, this had been for nothing.

What was I going to do? Someone else had the Exsphere and I had the Key Crest—there was no way this was going to end well. I couldn't let anyone else suffer through this, but at the same time…if I made the wrong move, I might get myself killed before I could fix it.

"…Sir," Kunsel said after a sufficient amount of time had passed. "Do you think that was…?"

Angeal was silent for so long that I didn't think he was going to reply. But then he just shook his head slowly, looking grim.

"I'm sure the company report will be out by tomorrow. We'll see who was killed in action."

"Damn," Kunsel murmured solemnly. "To think they'd just take out one of our own like that…those Turks are ruthless."

"What I'm more concerned about is how this happened in the first place," Angeal replied. "Regardless, I'm sure it will be kept secret for the most part. I don't recommend either of you speak about this to anyone until the investigation is finished."

"Just gonna sweep it under the rug, huh…" the Second sighed. "If that's the case, then I sure as hell hope they don't let this happen again."

"Agreed," Angeal said. He looked genuinely unhappy for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and smoothed his expression out once more. "Well, we'd better get back to work. I'll take the east end of the floor; you two take the west. Let's meet back in front of the elevator in forty minutes."

"Yes, sir," we chorused.

We split up, and I tried my best to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

The rest of that day passed in a blur in which I numbed myself to just about everything. Our last patrol of the SOLDIER floor revealed nothing, as expected, and the mission debriefing was nothing special—just reiterating everything we already knew. Lazard ordered us to take the rest of the day off.

Zack returned from a mission and immediately came to Kunsel for all the juicy details, inviting the both of us out for drinks while the Turks were lurking around our floor. Kunsel went; I declined again, despite their insistence. Instead I headed out on my own to explore Midgar, just killing time in an attempt to keep myself from brooding.

By the time night fell, all was well once more on the SOLDIER floor. No more shady men in suits; it was safe for me to return. Since it was getting pretty late, I felt safe lingering by myself in the lounge rather than going back to my room-closet. It was easier to think out here, looking out the enormous window at the city lights.

What in the world was I going to do about this little predicament…

"Well, well…I always do miss all of the excitement, it seems," a voice drawled from behind me, causing me to sit up a little straighter.

"Genesis?" I turned around, surprised. Surely enough, the red-clad First was walking up, a small smirk on his face. "…How was Wutai?"

His smile thinned.

_"My friend, the fates are cruel_

_There are no dreams, no honor remains_

_The arrow has left the bow of the goddess."_

I blinked, processing that for a moment. Bitter? Disillusioned? Unsurprising…but he had come back. He hadn't deserted. That was something, right?

"So…thumbs down, then."

Genesis snorted. "How very astute of you. I'm afraid our beloved General stole most of the glory, as per usual."

I frowned. "Oh, that's all?"

The humor faded from his expression and suddenly he was a little harder to read. "No, but that's hardly something we should discuss here."

The commander walked around the end of the sofa I was sitting on, moving to take a seat next to me. Oh boy…he wanted an actual conversation. I was pretty rusty at socializing nowadays.

"I heard about the commotion earlier," he said, swiftly changing the subject to something _I _was uncomfortable with.

"Did you?" I asked dully. "It's all over with, anyway. The Turks came in and did their thing."

He watched me carefully, speaking in a lowered voice. "Yes, I'm aware. I spoke with a contact in the Science Department—he stated that the source of the creature's power seemed to be a strange materia embedded in its flesh."

"A materia?" I frowned, inwardly feeling my blood run cold. This was _bad. _They knew about it already? "...Is this something I need to know? I thought this whole thing was supposed to be hush-hush."

"Hmph." He smirked, closing his eyes. "I suppose you _don't _need to know. There are a lot of things you don't need to know…but to me you seem rather informed already. How is that, I wonder?"

"That's hardly something we should discuss here," I parroted back, keeping my face carefully blank. Shit, Genesis…I _knew _you were going to be a problem. Dammit, why had I let myself get roped into joining SOLDIER?

"Fair enough," he relented, leaning back.

I contemplated trying to escape, but decided against it. His pose was nonchalant but I suspected he had no intention of letting me leave just yet. This was uncomfortable; I had no idea how to interact with anyone around here, never mind someone like Genesis. Kunsel, at least, was down-to-earth and on my level. I wasn't even sure what Genesis' personality was like—before I would've used the word 'bitter'_, _but that trait didn't seem to define him anymore.

"…You should be careful."

"Huh?" I frowned, glancing over to him. He had spoken low enough that I could just barely hear him. His eyes were still closed, but the smirk was gone.

"When the Turks are assigned to do a background check, it's unheard of that they return empty handed. Shinra considers you something of an anomaly, you see. I suggest you start considering which answers are the correct ones to give at this point."

"The correct answers, huh." Was he warning me to think of a backstory or encouraging me to tell the truth? Considering his tone and the fact that he was speaking in such a hushed manner, I had to think it was the former.

I scowled. "There's no way you'd trust me enough to help me at this point. I know I saved you, but you don't know anything about me."

Genesis' eyes snapped open and he actually looked offended.

_"There is no hate, only joy_

_For you are beloved by the goddess_

_Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds."_

"LOVELESS isn't an answer!" I protested.

"Oh, but it is," he replied. "You _liberated _me. Of course, you have no way of knowing the true significance of the deed…you'll just have to take my word for it. Rest assured, you and I will never be enemies."

Never…? I had to question that. I was so used to the suspicious looks from my last journey that I found myself very skeptical of Genesis' supposed loyalty. Could I even afford to trust him? He hadn't become the big villain he was supposed to be, but that didn't mean the potential didn't still exist…

A small, traitorous part of me was comforted and even a little happy at his words. I wanted to think that _someone _was on my side here. But no…even Genesis might turn on me. Sure I had saved him, but I was also planning on walking away without doing the same for his two best friends. He might think a little differently of me if he knew that.

"Yeah, well…" I sighed, getting to my feet. "I appreciate the sentiment. Anyway, I should be getting to bed now…training starts early tomorrow."

He stared hard at me for a moment, and then smirked and shook his head. "Good night, then."

"Night," I managed, a little taken aback; I hadn't expected to be let off the hook so easily. Not wanting to pass up the opening, I immediately made my escape and headed off to my room.

Then I realized that since Genesis was back from Wutai, I'd be seeing him a lot more often now. Oh…that explained it. He had all the time in the world to quote poetry and make weird remarks and ask prying questions. All right, guess I'd just have to add him to the list of people I had to avoid.

Still, though…his advice was pretty sound. I never realized just how soon I'd have to make use of it.

* * *

The next morning started out pretty routine; I got up early and suited up, grabbing Kerberos and heading out to the usual training grounds. The rest of my regiment was waiting there; new arrivals trickled in every few minutes until almost everyone was present.

Only a few were missing—those that had been caught up in the attack were still in the infirmary. Jace, of course, was absent. Some people were talking about the events in hushed voices; nobody had a solid idea of what had happened yet, as the company report still hadn't been released. I saw Todd standing off to the side, pale-faced and silent, and felt some pity for him.

"Any idea where the Lieutenant is?"

I blinked, glancing around, and realized I was standing alone. Huh, that meant the SOLDIER was talking to _me. _This was a strange development.

After an awkward pause, I shrugged. "Haven't seen him. Isn't he usually here by now?"

The man wore a thoughtful frown. He looked to be about my age, with blond shoulder-length hair. I remembered seeing him around, but I had never spoken to him before.

"He's always been a really punctual guy. Technically training started ten minutes ago, right? Maybe it's cancelled because of…well, you know." He anxiously ran a hand through his hair, and then seemed to remember himself. "Oh. I'm Luxiere, by the way."

"…Brittany," I replied.

"I know," he replied, tilting his head a little. "Kind of hard to forget the name of the only girl around here, anyway. Hey, I heard you gave Jace a beating the other day. That was pretty cool! Show everyone around here what you're made of, right? He's always been the type that's hard to deal with."

"Ah, yeah…" I bit my lip, averting my gaze. Luxiere, huh…I vaguely remembered that name. Either way he had no idea…

"Oh," he said suddenly. "Right. He's in the infirmary with the rest of the guys. I really shouldn't be saying anything, should I? I don't really like him, but here's hoping he heals up quickly."

"Same here," I replied, giving up. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news.

That was when I heard the door to the training grounds slide open. The conversation died down and everyone looked over to see the new arrival. It wasn't Angeal.

Hushed whispers started up again as the teen walked past us to the front of the group. A lot of people knew who he was—higher in rank even amongst the Seconds, friends with just about everyone, Angeal's student…

"Hey!" Zack waved to us with a grin, and everyone immediately stood at attention. He just snorted, shaking his head. "No, no, don't bother with that. Uh, at ease, guys."

The Thirds relaxed, showing a mixture of amusement and respect. He was well liked amongst his peers, friendly and informal with those who were of lesser rank. No doubt everyone was wondering why he was here, but his presence wasn't unwelcome.

"So, I know you're probably wondering where Angeal is," Zack said, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, he's kind of tied up in a meeting right now, so he asked me to cover for him today. Name's Zack Fair, Second Class! Nice to meet'cha!"

I found myself fighting the urge to grin; having Zack as an instructor sounded like fun, but I wasn't _allowed _to have fun, dammit. Just…get through the training without incident. Blend in with the rest of the regiment. Then—

Zack noticed me, smiling and raising a hand in greeting. Crap. I hesitantly raised a hand back.

Thankfully, though, that was the extent of our communication. There was no time to talk since he had to supervise the training session and keep track of everyone; from then on, it was all business. It turned out that although he was excitable and made us do way too many squats, Zack wasn't all that bad of an instructor. He and Angeal were both good at keeping the guys motivated, but they had different methods.

By the end of the session, I was just as sore as usual. Luxiere had decided that Zack was just about the best thing since sliced bread, and was looking at him with admiration. Ah, that was right—Luxiere was the guy who looked up to Zack and sent him emails in Crisis Core. Was this how it started? Weird.

After Zack declared the training over, everyone began to disperse and head back to the Third Class barracks. The Second exchanged a few words of encouragement with some of the others, and then strolled over to me.

"Hey, how've you been? I heard you were involved with that big incident yesterday," he said, curious.

"I'm doing fine," I replied, inspecting Kerberos before sheathing it. "Angeal was the one who took care of everything. I just guarded the Director."

"What a first mission that must've been." Zack whistled appreciatively. "Bummer, though. I was all the way in Junon."

"Well—" I started to reply, but was cut off mid-sentence by Victory Fanfare. Oh, hey! Excuse not to socialize!

I pulled the phone out of my pocket, looking at the caller ID on the screen. It was a blocked number. Still, I shrugged. "Hold on a second."

Zack nodded, crossing his arms and falling silent. I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

_"Miss Furness. Is this an inconvenient time?"_

My eyes widened. Turks…not good. "Tseng? Er—no. What is it?"

The Second next to me shifted a little, clearly trying to hide how interested he suddenly was.

_"I have a few questions for you about what transpired yesterday. Nothing to be concerned about—this is standard protocol. Are you free?"_

Ugh…well, it wasn't like I could avoid it without looking suspicious. "Sure. Where do you want to meet?"

_"Twenty-third floor, office 232. You'll remember it as the same place we met last time. Can you be there in thirty minutes?"_

"That should be fine," I replied in a neutral voice.

_"All right. I'll see you then."_

With that, he hung up. I lowered the phone with a sigh. Hopefully 'a few questions' wasn't Turk-speak for interrogation.

"Turks? What's that about?" Zack asked.

I just shook my head. "They're still investigating what happened yesterday. Anyway, I have to go."

"Okay," he said, nodding. "But hold up a sec. Can I see your phone?"

He fiddled with it for a minute before handing it back with a smile. "Just thought I'd give you my number. You ever want to do another practice mission, give me a call! I'm getting Angeal to show me the controls to the simulation training room."

"Oh…all right," I replied. "Be seeing you, then."

"Right!" He nodded and watched me go.

I made a beeline for my room, lost in thought. Zack's words were quickly pushed to the side in favor of my upcoming conversation with Tseng. Genesis was just warning me about this last night…had he seen it coming? What _were _the right answers to give, anyway?

After cleaning up and changing into some clean clothes, I headed out and made my way to the main elevators.

The twenty-third floor hadn't grown any more interesting since my last visit. Despite how bland the place was, I found myself growing to hate it; I was starting to associate it with feelings of anxiety and helplessness.

I passed Reno on my way down the hallway. He was standing at an intersection, one hand shoved in his pocket while he tapped his EMR lazily against his shoulder with the other. He nodded to me in greeting.

"Down the hall and to your left, yo."

"Got it," I replied, passing him. Reno standing guard, huh…the Turks were being cautious as usual.

Brushing those thoughts aside, I followed his instructions and easily found the right office. A brisk knock on the door earned a call for me to enter, and I let myself in.

Tseng sat calmly at his desk, watching me. He gestured to the chair opposite him, and I complied. I kept my face neutral, fighting not to let my anxiety show. So many things could go wrong. I had to choose my words carefully, especially with someone like this.

"Thank you for coming," Tseng said, folding his hands in front of him on the desk. "I understand you've already done this for the Director, but I'd like to hear your version of events directly from you. Please give me a full account of yesterday's mission from start to finish."

I nodded, and then began to speak in a flat voice, mechanically telling him the same story I'd told to Lazard—with all the appropriate parts left out. He remained silent through the whole thing, his face unreadable.

"…I see," he finally said when I finished. "The monster. What was your impression of it?"

"It…it was wearing a SOLDIER uniform," I remarked quietly.

Tseng nodded. "Your comrades expressed similar concerns. Rest assured that it was nothing but an escaped research specimen from the Science Department. That's all you need to know."

My brows twitched, but I stopped them from drawing together. It was a blatant lie, but it would be stupid to challenge him.

"The company report will be released later today," the Turk replied. "Refrain from speaking of these events openly until then. What you know is sensitive information, and I recommend you treat it as such."

"Yes, sir," I replied. It wasn't something I really wanted to talk about anyway. The Turks could have their little cover up. "Is that all you needed me for?"

"Actually, there's something else I've been wanting to address," he replied, staring at me hard.

Oh, boy…

"What is it?" I asked.

"Under normal circumstances, Shinra performs extensive background checks prior to hiring new personnel. You are no exception, though we did our research a bit late." His face remained calm, completely composed.

"However…" he continued, "No records of a 'Brittany Furness' exist in Mideel, though you claim to have been born there. In addition to that, I have received reports of an incident in Junon in which you were unable to provide identification to one of our troops. How do you explain that?"

"It's…" I sighed, wishing I had more time. "It's kind of a long story."

"We have plenty of time," Tseng assured me. "Your situation remains the same—you are more useful to us in our employment. I'm willing to look past your infraction in Junon if you'd answer my questions truthfully now. Help me fill in the gaps on your company file, and hopefully this will be the last of our little meetings."

His tone suggested that if he had to call me up here again for anything but standard company business, it wouldn't be pleasant.

"All right," I agreed; what choice did I have?

He reached for the laptop that was open on the desk, typing in a few things. Then he glanced over at me.

"Your full name—first, middle, and last."

"Brittany Allana Furness," I replied, and then spelled it out for him.

"Age?"

"Twenty-one."

"Height and weight."

"Five foot four, one hundred thirty pounds."

He nodded, inputting the information. "That's your natural hair color?"

"Yes."

His next few questions were relatively easy to answer, and I was able to reply truthfully. Then, of course, things got a little more difficult. He started delving into my past.

"You were born in Mideel. Correct?"

"Yeah," I said. There were no other answers to give—I'd look suspicious changing my story, and it wasn't like they'd find records of me in any other town either.

"Do you have family in Mideel?"

"No."

"Explain," he ordered promptly.

"I'm adopted," I replied. Time to use that backstory I'd been toying with over the past few days…it wasn't great, but it was all I had. "My real parents…I honestly don't know. They might be dead." I took a deep breath before continuing. "I was three years old when my adoptive father found me in the woods on the outskirts of Mideel; all I could really tell him at that age was my name. He and his wife searched high and low for my family and came up empty handed. I've always said I was born in Mideel, but in all honesty, there's no way for me to know for sure."

Tseng was scribbling information down in a black notebook. When I stopped speaking, he looked up at me. It was impossible to read him as usual; I couldn't tell if he believed me or not.

"I see. Tell me more about this family, then. Your mother and father?"

Here came the interesting part. One thing I'd learned was that it was always easier to lie if you mixed in some truth; my story was one big convoluted mess, but I fully intended to use real people.

"Kratos and Anna Aurion. Anna…died of illness a few months after I was found. I don't remember her very well."

"Is there anyone else?"

"There's Lloyd, my younger brother," I replied.

Not gonna lie—I was just a little bit amused by the story I was telling, but I couldn't let that show. What would Lloyd and Kratos think if they heard me now? It wasn't like the relationships were all that far-fetched—Lloyd and I were definitely close enough to be siblings, and Kratos had been a definite mentor to me during the last journey.

"Where are they living now?"

I shook my head. "We've been living as mercenaries for as long as I can remember. Dad wasn't one to stay in the same spot for long."

"And what led to the incident in Junon?" Tseng was watching me carefully.

I sighed. "We were separated in the middle of a hunt for a Malboro that was causing a lot of trouble down by Banora. I couldn't find them again after that; I headed to Junon because that was where our next job was."

"And your papers?"

My brow furrowed. "I guess Dad has them. I never had to worry about it before—our line of work is…well, under the table. He always took care of those types of things."

"What reason did you have to flee our men, then?"

"I didn't want to be detained for no reason," I replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You said it yourself—there's no records of me in Mideel. I don't have any physical proof of anything, really. I wanted to find my father and brother, not be holed up in some cell while being questioned by Shinra personnel."

"Whole lot of good _that _did me," I added dryly, giving Tseng a meaningful look.

His brow quirked, but he didn't press the issue. Instead he moved right on to asking for physical descriptions of Lloyd and Kratos, which I readily supplied. It was easy to tell the truth when I knew there was no way anyone would ever find them.

By the time he was finished with his questions, Tseng had typed up an entire file on me, which he printed out and added to a thick binder. There was no indication of whether or not he believed my story. Rather than challenging me, he simply gave me a flat look.

"Thank you for your time. I'll have a copy of your personnel file sent to you in the morning; that along with your Shinra ID should be a sufficient substitute for the papers you lost."

"Thank you," I said, hiding my surprise. Well, legitimate identification…that was actually a big help. I might be able to get around outside of Shinra now without having to explain myself at every turn.

"We will extensively review the information you've given us," Tseng added, his eyes cold. "I'm telling you now that falsehoods will not be tolerated—don't give us a reason to brand you a threat. Can you confirm that everything you've told me was the truth?"

"It was, sir," I replied, intentionally meeting his gaze.

He watched me for another second before nodding. "Very well. You may leave."

I nodded in turn, and was very happy to get the hell out of there.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it, OC Brit's usual half-assed backstory. I find it amusing. XD Of course, her "****family" is conveniently impossible to track and she has no real hometown! Tseng won't take note of this, right?! Nope, she's not suspicious at all.**

**Some Genesis interaction, whoo! We'll be seeing him some more soon, hopefully in a more lighthearted context.**

**I'm going to try to keep updating regularly, but I can't make any promises. It's really hard to update weekly with 5000+ word chapters when I have school, work, and several other stories that I'm supposed to update regularly too. ;_; I haven't really hit much writer's block with this yet, though, so hopefully next chapter will be up on time.**

**Next time: Estuans interius ira vehementi...**


	8. Change of Heart

**A/N: DEAR GOD. I worked on this thing all day. Finally dooooone!**

**Nothing more to say here. Dinnertime for me 8D**

* * *

Two more days passed without incident. I went on another mission with Kunsel, this time to clear out some monsters that were threatening Kalm. It looked like Shinra wasn't trusting me with sensitive missions just yet—I was perfectly fine with that. Honestly, I'd be okay with exterminating monsters forever. It was nothing I wasn't used to.

No answers came to my situation. Tseng didn't call me back, and I didn't suspect he would; there was no way for them to really prove my story wrong. There were no records of my existence, meaning my explanation was literally the only one they were going to be able to find. They could take it or leave it, and that was that.

That didn't mean I wasn't still sketchy about the whole thing. But as long as I kept being useful to Shinra, they probably weren't going to do anything. That was really what it boiled down to—how useful I was.

As far as my life went, I had no idea what to do. I couldn't leave my Exsphere in this world, that much was certain. If I did, it might change the course of events drastically. That kind of technology couldn't be left with the Science Department—for cripes' sake, it was created using _human lives. _ Hojo reminded me of a nasty mix of Rodyle and Kvar, and I was pretty sure he wouldn't have a problem with killing countless people just to try and replicate my Exsphere.

The last thing this world needed was its own Cruxis—Shinra with an Exsphere-equipped SOLDIER army. It was a recipe for disaster and I needed to stop it before it went too far.

But how _could _I? It wouldn't be the first time I had infiltrated a technologically advanced base, but this time I had no help. Without Kratos or Yuan or intel from Mizuho spies, I was really at a big disadvantage. It was too risky…if I got caught, there was no one to rescue me, either.

And then there was the fact that I still had no clue how to leave this world. It had been far too long since I'd arrived and I was integrating too much into this world's society. I needed to start being more proactive. I had to discover _how _and _why _I had come to be here, and I needed to get the hell out before I caused any more damage.

"Don't let it get to you too much."

I nearly jumped at the feeling of a hand on my shoulder; I looked up to see Angeal standing there.

"There was nothing you could've done to help him," he went on to say. "Some things are out of our control. We just have to do the best we can with the resources we have."

"…Yeah," I replied with a nod, knowing he was talking about Jace.

We weren't supposed to talk about the identity of the monster, but Kunsel, Angeal and I were all well aware of the unspoken truth. The company report had come out early yesterday; Jace and two others had apparently been killed in action. I wasn't sure if the other two had really been gravely wounded or if they just hadn't been able to keep their mouths shut. With Shinra, it was impossible to tell.

"You know, he was always pretty nasty to me, but he didn't deserve this," I said, sheathing Kerberos and shaking my head.

"There are some fates I wouldn't wish on anyone," Angeal agreed with a sigh.

Training had just finished up for the day. Lately there had been a bit of a shift in mood amongst the guys; most of them were too focused on recent events to harass me. A lot of them still blatantly ignored my existence, but with Luxiere willing to talk to me now, things were just a little more bearable among the Thirds.

"By the way, it looks like you'll be shadowing Zack and I on our next mission," he added in a lighter tone, his somber expression fading a little.

"Hmm? Was that just assigned today? I haven't checked my email yet." I rubbed the back of my neck, surprised. Hopefully it was just a short-term mission, but if it was with a First, I had to doubt that…

Angeal smiled a little. "The Director will explain more at the mission briefing, but from what I understand it'll be a routine reactor inspection at Mt. Corel."

"Escorting some technicians through monster-infested wilderness? Sounds fun," I noted.

He chuckled. "A change of scenery, at the least. From your track record, I'd assume this should be easy enough."

My track record…Malboro, Midgar Zolom, Exbelua, and more recently Kunsel and I had finally taken care of that Eligor in the slums. Yeah, I was used to the nasty monsters.

I smiled sardonically. "I tend to attract trouble, sir, but we can hope. At the very least I make a pretty good meat shield."

Angeal's lips quirked with amusement and he opened his mouth to make a reply to this, but he paused at the sound of footsteps. Those of us that were still here from the training session were standing in the hallway outside of the training grounds, talking—everyone had fallen silent all of a sudden.

"Hm…" Angeal smirked knowingly, taking a step to the side to clear the way. Everyone followed suit, and suddenly we were all standing in a line to make way for the man approaching us from the direction of the elevators.

I was suddenly very conscious of my heartbeat pounding in my ears, reminding me horribly of the drums in Those Chosen by the Planet, of flames in Nibelheim, feelings of dread and impending doom.

Every other Third here was dead silent out of awe and respect—I was simply too smothered by my own apprehension. Those footsteps, coming closer. The subtle sound of leather brushing against leather, clinking metal. I found myself saluting along with the rest of my regiment. The movement felt rigid and mechanical.

Finally the man came into view, nodding to us and allowing us to relax our positions. I let my arms fall to my sides and frantically fought to control the tension that made my every muscle want to lock up.

"Finally back, eh?" Angeal was completely at ease, his face open and friendly. "It's been a while, Sephiroth."

The General came to a pause, looking over at his friend with a very faint smile of his own. "Indeed it has."

Sephiroth was identical to his simulated counterpart, over half a foot taller than me and very imposing. Masamune was in a sheath at his waist. My entire body was screaming at me to run, fight, do _something_—but I forced myself to remain still. I was being attacked by an onslaught of half-remembered blood soaked nightmares.

Always chasing Sephiroth's shadow, failing to catch up, wading through carnage and witnessing tragedies. Fighting and being run through, having my wrist crushed in his grip, being pinned under those murderous green eyes. I didn't know if the nightmares had been a premonition or not, and I really didn't want to find out.

"I hear the edict was signed yesterday," Angeal remarked.

Sephiroth nodded. "The war is over."

The Thirds on either side of me were suddenly exchanging glances, and the excitement amongst them was obvious. Of course, we were all standing before a war hero—and since the news hadn't even so much as passed through the company grapevine yet, we were the first ones to officially hear about it.

It still took a concentrated effort to keep my body from noticeably tensing up, to keep my face composed into a neutral mask. As I fought to keep this calm façade up, I found myself observing Sephiroth and noticed something—his eyes.

They were _blue._

That was wrong. They were supposed to be venomous green with reptilian slits for pupils: cold and ruthless. It was the image of those eyes that had so terrified me in my dreams.

But his eyes now…they were more expressive. The intense hatred was absent, replaced with a cool thoughtfulness.

…Was this the difference, then? The Sephiroth standing before me was sane, and his mind was completely his own.

Then something else struck me. It had all started with my experience in the labs, the mako baths and injections. Those nightmares, could they have been caused by…?

My thoughts were cut off when I noticed that the SOLDIERs on either side of me were sidling away nervously. Okay…? Come on, I wasn't _that _scary—

Oh. Sephiroth was staring at me.

My blood abruptly turned to ice as I found my eyes locked with his. I had no idea how to react; it wasn't even the "the hell's this bitch's problem" stare that I had gotten from Kratos and Yuan so many times, either. It was a clouded, vaguely troubled stare with some other emotion beneath—curiosity? Suspicion? He was very hard to read. What the hell was that look supposed to mean?

I had to resist the urge to look around me and make sure it was me he was looking at. The reactions of the others were more than enough indication. If it were anyone else I would've given a cheesy little wave just to be obnoxious, but this was _Sephiroth._

Ah, crap. He was coming this way. Crap crap _crap, _why the hell did this guy make me so goddamn nervous, what was I supposed to do—

"So the esteemed General returns," a sardonic voice rang out, stopping Sephiroth in his tracks.

He looked up, momentarily distracted, and I made silent declarations of love to Genesis in my head. The commander was sauntering up with a smug look on his face; to my right, Angeal crossed his arms and shook his head knowingly.

"It certainly took you long enough," Genesis continued.

"My apologies," Sephiroth replied in a completely unapologetic tone. "I was held up in Rocket Town. You missed me?"

Genesis rolled his eyes very theatrically at that, opening his mouth presumably to make some witty remark of his own, but I missed it when Angeal cut in.

"Don't feel obligated to listen to these two banter," the lieutenant said, walking to the front of the group once more. He smiled. "Training's over. You're all free to go."

"Sir!" Everyone piped up, offering one last salute before we all dispersed.

I wasted no time escaping, immediately making a beeline for the hallway that led to my room. Genesis caught my eye as I passed; I saw his lips turn up in a smirk and he looked like he was going to say something, but the second Sephiroth started to turn his head I booked it out of there. Sorry, Genesis, but that was a conversation I did _not _want to have.

Rather than remain in the vicinity of the trio of Firsts, I quickly made my way to my room; after changing, I headed out into the city and restocked my supplies in an effort to prepare for the next mission. Hopefully a certain person would have forgotten about my existence by the time I made my way back.

* * *

"Oh, wow! Check this out! Are you seeing this?!"

"Calm down, Zack. You're going to rock the car if you keep running around like that."

"Ah—heh, sorry." The teenager reluctantly plopped down in the seat next to mine, smiling sheepishly. Angeal just chuckled in response.

Two days after Sephiroth's return, I found myself on a small train headed for the reactor on Mt. Corel. Apparently at this point in time, the railways on the mountain hadn't been abandoned just yet. Probably because Corel itself was still standing.

Mt. Corel wasn't the only peak around us; from the map I'd gotten back in Banora, I was able to tell that this was just the eastern portion of the Nibel range. The mountains here were tall, rocky crags, cold and unforgiving. They reminded me of some pictures I'd seen of the Rockies. To be honest, Zack wasn't the only one fascinated with our surroundings. I just didn't broadcast my thoughts the way he did.

I had to hide a smile. He and Lloyd would probably get along. Lloyd…god, I missed that guy.

There were three technicians with us, sitting toward the back of the train car. They had conversed with us a few times on the trip here, but for the most part they were keeping to themselves. It was possible that Zack's boundless energy had tired them out.

We had taken an airship from HQ up to Corel, which had actually been pretty exciting for me. After riding around on the Rheairds so much, standing on the deck of the ship was nothing. I had spent most of the ride walking around and exploring, fascinated.

The citizens of Corel had been very accommodating. There had been no time to search for Barret, though I had definitely kept my eyes open for him. Not that it'd make any difference—what would I say to him, anyway? "Hey, I know you?" Yeah…better off to just leave the guy alone.

There was something else I had realized—the Gold Saucer didn't exist yet. The railway our train rode on went right past the station at the base of the mountain, where the ropeway to the Gold Saucer would be. This station was originally meant for miners traveling to and from Mt. Corel…

Of course, Shinra couldn't pretend to be the good guys if they were building a giant amusement park over this place…but it was something I hadn't considered. Not only was Shinra going to burn this place to the ground, they were going to add insult to injury and build a freaking amusement park over it all like nothing had happened…and turn the remains of the town into a prison. Heartless bastards.

What was Barret going to feel, seeing all of this go down? Shinra turning his old home into some garish tourist attraction? Thousands of ignorant people, blissfully enjoying themselves above the graves of his friends, his family…

"Something wrong?"

I looked up at the sound of Angeal's voice, and realized belatedly that I was holding the edge of my seat in a white-knuckled grip. I relaxed my hands and sighed, offering a weak smile and trying to brush off the wave of anger and disgust I had just felt.

"I'm not a fan of heights," I blurted out. Wait, how was that an excuse?

That was when I registered the fact that we were on an elevated stretch of railway, and looking out the window revealed that it was indeed a _very _long way down. And this train was old. And rickety. Oh god.

"Huh?" Zack blinked, clueless. "What do you—oh! Whoa, look how high up we are!" He ran to the window at the other side of the car, causing it to rock a little.

"G-Gah!" I tensed up, plastering myself to the seat and hanging on for dear life. "Don't do that! Not cool, not cool!"

"Zack," Angeal said in a warning tone when the technicians voiced similar protests.

"Sorry." He turned around, wearing a sheepish look once more—but once he caught sight of me, he outright gawked. "Man, are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine," I replied through gritted teeth. "But if you rock the car again, I might have to forcibly eject you."

"Got it," he replied, completely unaffected. He just grinned and flopped down next to me. "What gives, anyway? You were fine on the airship."

"Airship felt safer," I muttered.

"This is a much older piece of machinery," Angeal replied with a nod. "But there's no need to worry. The residents of Corel use this train every day; it's safe."

I spared him a grateful look. Calm and levelheaded…and there was no hint of criticism or judgment in his eyes. Over the past few weeks, I had developed a healthy respect for Angeal.

"…It's more psychological," I admitted, still feeling a bit nauseous. "Just…that view out the window. Ugh."

The train went over a bump on the tracks just then, catching me completely off-guard.

"Agh!" I cried out, immediately latching on to Zack's arm. I ducked my head, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Um…"

"We're fine," Angeal offered, though now I could hear some definite mirth in his voice.

"C'mon, we're SOLDIER! A fall from this height wouldn't kill you anyway," Zack said.

It was the wrong thing to say. Now all I could think about was the time I had fallen off a cliff in the Temple of Earth. Yeah, _that _had been a fun day.

"Gee, thanks," I replied. "I feel so much better now. Puppies and rainbows."

"So…my arm?"

I remembered myself and jerked back, immediately distancing myself from the Second. Dammit! Bad self! Just because he reminded me of Lloyd didn't mean I could be all weird and awkward around him too!

Another bump. I stiffened once more, latching on to the seat.

Zack watched me for a second, puzzled, and then offered a bemused smile. "Well, if you're _that _nervous, I guess you could have it for a little while—"

"Suck it," I replied without even thinking, making a face. "Your arm had its chance."

Angeal, who had been exchanging a few words with one of the technicians, now paused to raise an eyebrow at me.

The teen snorted, but then suddenly paused mid-laugh to give me a confused look. "…You must be really freaked out. You're not acting yourself at all."

I blinked, taken aback. Then my face fell and I forced myself to turn away.

_Not acting yourself…_

But I _was. _My fear of heights had caused me to briefly drop the façade. Well, at least I knew my act was working…

…Why did it hurt to hear him say that, then?

"Yeah…I guess I am," I replied with a shrug.

He just smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Hang in there, all right? We'll be there soon."

"Thanks," I said, and then fell silent.

The distance was what hurt. Constantly pushing others away was what hurt. I knew this feeling; I had felt it so many times on Earth, when one of my family members would make some remark, and I would realize they barely knew me at all anymore.

I hated feeling so alone.

* * *

The figure of the mako reactor loomed in the distance, set in the middle of the valley we were traversing. The train had reached its final stop about a half mile from here; the rest of the journey we would have to make on foot. And as expected, there were a lot of monsters out here.

"Feeling better?"

I glanced over at Angeal, smiling a little. "Yes. Now that I'm grounded, anyway."

"Ha!" Zack had cut down two Bombs ahead of us with one swing; now he turned to us, offering a thumbs up. "Talk about a cakewalk. We'll be out of here in no time!"

"Don't get cocky, Zack," Angeal said, though judging from his expression he probably knew it was useless. "We still have to make the trip back."

We were walking in a triangular formation; Zack at the head, Angeal and I bringing up the rear, and the three technicians protected in the middle. Though I could see where Angeal was coming from, I did sort of agree with Zack; this was surprisingly easy. What warranted bringing a First out here? Things probably would've been fine with just Zack and I.

Slowly but surely, we drew closer to the reactor. The monsters weren't much of an issue.

As we walked, something occurred to me.

"Hey, Angeal…" Crap—too informal, too late to correct it. I tried not to make a face, and focused more on what I'd been thinking. "How long ago was this reactor built?"

He didn't seem to mind the way I had addressed him. The First focused his gaze on the structure ahead of us, looking thoughtful. "It's still fairly new. Construction completed six months ago, if I'm remembering correctly. It won't be long before the coal industry here becomes obsolete."

"We're probably seeing some of the last use of that railroad, then," I remarked.

"Hmm…you may be right about that."

Only six months ago, huh…hard to believe. How long would it be before Corel burned, then? I didn't know if the game specified or not. Somewhere between now and the Nibelheim incident, anyway. Jesus. The only thing ahead was catastrophe after catastrophe.

Finally we arrived at the reactor, going inside and waiting while the technicians did their inspection. While Zack and Angeal exchanged a few words, I found myself leaning against the platform railing and watching the other men work. It was stuffy in here; the air was too warm, and it carried an odd chemical smell that almost reminded me of bleach. The labs of the Science Department had smelled like this, too.

That corrosive smelling stuff was really _inside _of me…it was still hard to believe.

The three men were making adjustments and taking readings at various parts of the reactor. After fifteen or twenty minutes, they all met up and conversed quietly, seeming to argue about something. Then one of them gestured to his right and started walking back to us. The other two moved to the spot he'd pointed at, moving to make some more adjustments.

"Something wrong?" I asked him, frowning.

He shook his head. "Everything is fine. We're just about finished here, thank you."

Angeal nodded and we waited for the other two to come back. After everyone had regrouped, they started making their way for the exit, Zack taking the lead once more. I trailed behind, looking over my shoulder at the spot the two technicians had been working on. The valve they had secured…was that steam or smoke…?

"Whoa! Wh-What is this?!" Zack's voice startled me out of my reverie, and I heard a loud roar come from up ahead.

Oh…not good! I swung around, seeing a commotion going on up ahead. The light from the open door darkened, a large shape shifting beyond. Everyone else had already gone outside; the platform shook as something slammed into the side of the structure.

I forward, unsheathing Kerberos and launching myself outdoors and into the fray.

It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the light, but I wasn't pleased by what I saw. The source of the disturbance was two enormous dragons, circling us from the air. We were at an immediate disadvantage; the reactor was in the middle of a huge manmade hole in the earth. The only way to solid ground was a single metal bridge, a fall from which would probably mean a plunge into the lifestream.

One of the technicians had ended up outside of our protection, forcing Angeal to run to his rescue; then, of course, the second dragon had separated us from Angeal. It was up to Zack and I to hold our own and protect the remaining two technicians…but if one of those dragons slammed into this bridge, we'd be done for.

"Where did these things come from?" I growled at Zack, desperately wishing I had something other than Fire materia right now.

"West! Nibelheim," He called back, bracing himself. "Damn…we've gotta get off this bridge."

Our dragon swooped forward, narrowly missing the bridge only because Zack deflected it with a harsh swipe of his sword. The technicians behind us backed off, one of them letting out a cry of surprise.

"Zack," I said. "I have an Exit materia."

He started a little at that, and then nodded. "You think you can handle taking all of us? We can try to lure them back to land."

"I'll give it a shot," I replied, hurriedly backing up so the two technicians would be in my vicinity. Then I closed my eyes, focusing on the materia equipped on my right bracer.

When I felt its responding warmth, I pushed hard with my mind. Just get us to land…just over _there…!_

A loud roar. My eyes snapped open just as I cast the spell; one second, a dragon was swooping right at me, ready to snap my head off in its jaws, and the next…

The image faded away. Suddenly we were standing on the edge of the dropoff, about a quarter mile from where the bridge began. The dragons were safely out of range, refocusing their attacks on Angeal—who could have fought them off easily, if he hadn't been trying to protect someone.

"All right!" Zack nodded approvingly, and I saw one of his hands crackle with lightning magic. "Now to draw 'em back!"

He fired what I recognized as a Bolt 2 spell at one of the dragons, causing it to falter in midair and swing around to focus its eyes on us. I got the gist of it and threw a Fire spell at the other, knowing it would do no damage but that it would at least draw its attention.

Angeal understood what we were doing. When the dragons were focused on us, he unceremoniously threw the technician he'd been protecting over his shoulder and made a break for land. One of the dragons snapped at him, but Zack fired off another spell and caught it off guard. Both monsters snarled at us and began to come our way.

"Yeah, that's right!" Zack taunted, grinning. "There's more where that came from! Come and get it!"

Ah, crap…those things were huge, and at this rate it was going to take Angeal a few minutes to catch up to us. This might get a little hairy…hopefully Zack could back up that confidence of his.

Behind me, I saw a flash of light; I turned my head slightly to see that the two technicians had a protective magical barrier around them. Was that…Wall? Angeal…pulling off such a strong support spell from that distance? Man, the Firsts really were of an entirely different caliber.

All right, so we wouldn't have to worry so much about those two as long as they stayed out of the way…now to focus on those stupid dragons.

It'd be okay, right? I had fought bigger dragons at the Dragon's Nest in Tethe'alla, and those had far outnumbered us at the time. Too bad we didn't have Kratos to Judgment us out of this one…

Shit! They were here!

"I've got the one on the left!" Zack called, lunging forward.

"Roger!" I yelled back, launching myself to the right. The dragon lowered itself in front of me, landing with a loud crash. It opened its jaws and threw a wave of fire at me.

_Crap…_I was really having trouble living without Guardian! Mentally adding a protective materia to my shopping list, I struggled to dodge under the blaze without getting my hair singed off.

And I was limited in my techs, too…no fire in this battle! If I remembered right, dragons absorbed fire magic!

The dragon lashed out, opening its mouth and baring its fangs. I ducked beneath its head, twisting to get a good look at its throat. Its outside was covered in tough green scales, but its underside seemed to be weaker. All right, then, easy enough!

…Or not. The dragon turned its body with surprising speed, protecting its underside and nearly catching me with a swipe of its claws. I leapt out of the way and ran at it once more. Without hesitating this time, I rushed in and plunged my sword in a gap between the scales on its underside.

The dragon bellowed in rage, but I had already twisted the blade viciously in the wound before ripping it out and leaping out of range again. Now it barreled towards me, forcing me to jump so that I wouldn't get caught by its swinging tail. Its wound was spurting blood.

One more lunge, and I had embedded the blade in its flesh once again. I gritted my teeth and decided to take the risk of staying in range, instead gripping the blade and tearing it upwards with all my might. Kerberos ripped through muscle until it reached the monster's throat, tearing it open and drenching me with blood. I grimaced, finally ducking and dodging out of range as the dragon crashed to the ground.

Zack's collapsed mere seconds after mine. I breathed a sigh of relief; man, that could've turned out badly. Thank god I had that Exit materia. Now we could get the hell out of here before more of those damn dragons showed up.

The Second turned, grinning at me. "All in a day's work! Dragons…I sure didn't see that one coming."

I smiled weakly back, walking up to him. "No kidding." He offered a fist and I bumped knuckles with him—wait, no! No brofisting! Gah…this kid was getting to me.

"Hey, Angeal!" Zack laughed, walking past me once he caught sight of his mentor. "Looks like we didn't need you after all! Just leave it to us, all right?"

Angeal started to crack a smile of his own, now walking alongside the man he'd rescued. Then his expression changed, his eyes widening.

"Behind you!"

"Huh?" Zack turned around, but he wasn't the one Angeal had been talking to.

I noticed the looming shadow too late, turned around at the worst possible moment—just in time to be hit hard with a swipe of dragon claws. Zack's dragon hadn't been dead.

Blood flew and I was tossed backwards, tumbling to the ground. The dragon bore down on me, lifting its claws once more. Kerberos had been knocked out of my reach.

No! There was no way I could take another hit—from this angle, it'd disembowel me! There was no time to dodge…it couldn't end like this! Shit, _shit!_

When the monster struck again, its claws hit metal. Zack was suddenly in front of me, taking all the hits. The dragon managed to knock him backwards and blood flew as its claws grazed his shoulder, but he persisted. The Second ran between the dragon's forelegs and struck a gash he'd left earlier, plunging his sword in all the way to the hilt. He yelled from sheer effort, pushing forward and actually forcing the dragon to rear up; its attacks now hit empty air.

Then Angeal reached us. It was over in half a second; with one powerful strike of the Buster Sword, he decapitated the monster and sent the body flying over the edge of the dropoff.

And then, silence.

Well, until Zack broke it, anyway.

"Uh…the other one's dead too, right?"

"Yes, Zack." Angeal sighed.

Meanwhile, I inspected my wound carefully and resisted the urge to flop over and groan. It stung like a bitch, but it wasn't too deep to fix…powering up my Restore materia, I cast a Cure spell and carefully patched it up.

Still burned a bit…but at least the wound was closed. I was getting a little better at healing.

I wanted to hit myself. Dropping my guard like that…dammit! Kratos would've killed me himself if he had been here to witness that. I knew better by now. Man…that had been a really close call. Too close…

"Hey. You all right, Brit?"

I looked up to see Zack standing over me. He smiled, holding a hand out to me.

For a moment, I just stared at him, eyes wide.

_So you wanna be in SOLDIER? Hang in there._

_You're gonna make it too. You got that?_

_We're friends…right?_

That look on his face. That smile. I could see it…the man he'd become…

Then the moment was over, and I immediately reached out to grab Zack's hand. He pulled me to my feet, steadying me.

"That was my fault," Zack admitted. "Should've made sure it was down and out for the count. Man…sorry about that."

"I…I'm the one who dropped my guard." I shook my head slowly. "Zack…thanks for having my back."

"Heh! Come on, you don't need to thank me for that!" He thumped me on the shoulder good-naturedly. "It's enough knowing you'd do the same for me."

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks.

_Enough knowing that I'd…do the same…_

He had saved my life just then. Thrown himself in front of me. What had I done to deserve it? I had been pretty cold to him up until now, so why—?

"This isn't over yet," Angeal cut in, walking up to us. He did not look pleased. "You two. Take up the rear. We're having a long talk when we get back to the train."

The First took point; I retrieved Kerberos, and the rest of us followed behind him. Zack was making a face.

"Oh, boy…we're in for it now."

I just let out a long sigh, too tired to mind at this point. A lecture from Angeal was preferable to being gutted by one of those dragons, at the very least…

…Zack.

I snuck another glance at him, but he was focused on the trail ahead.

He had seen me in danger and had run in without hesitation, putting himself between the dragon and me. He had risked his life to save mine. And for what? Me to walk away, leaving him to his own fate?

Zack…the one person everyone else wanted to push their problems on. He spent his whole life cleaning up other people's messes, and in the end just got killed for it. And here I was, ready to let it happen.

_It's enough knowing you'd do the same for me._

God, how could I just turn away at _that? _

The truth of the situation sank in, and I realized with a sinking feeling that things had been heading down this track for a while now. Who was I kidding? None of these people were strangers anymore. Especially not Zack. Could I really walk away?

Not only that…it had been over six weeks since I had woken up in this world. I still didn't know how I was going to get back home. Whether I liked it or not, I had to accept the reality of it—I might be here to stay for a long time. And if I was stuck here, was I really going to spend my life avoiding these people and standing aside as they died one by one? Could I _live _with that?

No.

No, I knew what I had wanted to do all along. My instincts screamed that it was a bad idea, that I was going to be taking on way more than I could handle, that it could only end horribly. But at the same time…wasn't it worth trying?

It was. I had taken on Cruxis, the Renegades, the Desians…it wasn't like this was my only experience with huge, technologically advanced organizations. I was already in SOLDIER. I could change things from the inside. Maybe…just maybe…

That wasn't right. No, there were absolutely no 'maybe's about this. If I was going to do this…I was going to completely commit. No more running away, no more excuses.

Even if I was just one person, even if it was just me against the world…I _would _save Zack.

Commence Operation: Avert Crisis.

* * *

**A/N: SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! HURRHURR**

**Sorry if the amount of Sephiroth in this chapter was not sufficient. *cackles* XD just a brief taste for now, but don't worry, he'll be back.**

**OC Brit now considers this to be SRS BSNS. WATCH OUT WORLD.**

**Next time: Gah! For once I haven't decided yet. Probably some Genesis. Look forward to that.**


	9. SOLDIER Battle

**A/N: Whew! A bit of a shorter one this time, but I'm kind of overdue so I figured I'd post it. I'm not so great about the regular updates, bawww.**

**Aside from all that...here you go! Hoo boy, Genesis in this chapter. That man is more fun than I bargained for. **

**Nothing else to say, derp. Enjoy!**

* * *

"But Angeal—"

"Enough." Angeal cut Zack off, his gaze hard. "If you want to make it to First, Zack, you need to stop making Third Class mistakes. Never turn your back to an enemy unless you are absolutely sure it has been terminated. This is what happens when you become too confident."

The elder SOLDIER shook his head, and then turned his eyes on me. "Overconfidence. It will undo any SOLDIER. You also lowered your guard. You've handled yourself well up until now; I expected you to know better."

"I do know better," I sighed, lowering my head. "It was a stupid mistake on my part. It won't happen again."

"Wait, wait!" Zack protested. "Don't start blaming her! It was supposed to be my kill in the first place."

Angeal raised an eyebrow. "You're accepting blame now?"

His face fell. "Uh—well—I still think you're being too hard on us. What about when we drew the dragons away from you, huh?"

"That doesn't change anything. Be an honorable SOLDIER and take responsibility for your mistakes."

"Honor…what's all this about dreams and honor, anyway?"

Angeal paused at that, giving his student a pensive look. "Zack…do you remember why you joined SOLDIER?"

The teen immediately leaned forward at that, his face taking on a resolute expression. "To become a hero!"

"Heroes are known for their great deeds. For serving and protecting the people." Angeal closed his eyes. "We at SOLDIER have a duty to fulfill. Honor…will keep you from using your strength for the wrong reasons, from straying from the correct path. And your dreams will keep you moving forward."

He opened his eyes once more, watching us both. "Without honor or dreams, we would be nothing but mindless killing machines…monsters. Never forget that."

"Monsters, huh…" Zack frowned, troubled.

"I want you two to do better on your next mission. Don't disappoint me," Angeal said.

"Yessir," I replied.

"Yeah, all right…" Zack rubbed the back of his neck, and then paused to look at me. "Speaking of which…why'd you join SOLDIER, anyway?"

"Me?" I raised my eyebrows. "I dunno, the uniform was cute."

"Wh-What?!" Zack gaped, looking down at his own matching uniform and then back up at me. "You're not serious…"

I snorted. "No. Nice reaction, though."

"C'mon! What's the real reason?"

Finally I caved, pausing to think for a second. "…There's someone I have to protect. That's all."

"Someone to protect, huh…" The teen frowned. Then he leaned back in his seat, throwing his hands behind his head as he mulled this over.

"It's a step up from mercenary work, I guess," I replied with a shrug, wanting to change the subject.

"With your brother and your old man, right? Where are they at, anyway?" Zack asked. He seemed to perk up a bit now that I was actually making conversation.

I hesitated a little, thinking about the cold façade I had been keeping up. But…well, what was the point anymore? Zack was the one person I was dead set on saving; it didn't matter if I was attached to him, because I wasn't going to let him die.

"Who knows," I said breezily, looking out the window. "Dad's always been too stubborn to get a phone, and my old one broke when I fought the Malboro. Not many ways we can contact each other."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Nah, they'll sniff me out eventually, especially since I'm set up in one spot," I replied with a shrug. Then I just smiled. "Besides, I don't mind the break. My old man's a bit of a hardass, with the disposition of Sephiroth to boot."

"…That explains it," Angeal muttered with a chuckle.

"Huh? Explains what?" Zack turned on his mentor with a confused expression, but it was at that moment that the train drew to a stop.

Angeal just shook his head. "It's nothing. Let's get back to town; our ship should be arriving in about an hour."

So we got off the train, preparing for the trip back to headquarters. As we walked, I couldn't shake the odd sense that I had forgotten something. Had I said something back there that I shouldn't have? No…that wasn't it.

Well, whatever it was, it couldn't have been too important. There were too many other things weighing on my mind right now for me to focus on the little details. I shrugged off the feeling, instead turning my thoughts to the road ahead.

* * *

The three of us made it back to Midgar without incident. One look at the city from the deck of the airship was enough to dampen my spirits a bit. I had relaxed a little bit over the past few days, traveling around with Zack and Angeal in the country. The fresh air had definitely been nice.

Now it was back to the endlessly grey industrial setting. I had never been a big fan of cities in general, but Midgar was the pits. Not to mention it was no fun going right back into the lion's den, where I'd have to watch my back constantly.

After entering headquarters, the three of us separated to unpack our things, shower and get situated. About an hour later we met back up outside Lazard's office for a mission debriefing, and after that we had the rest of the night to ourselves.

That had all been yesterday. Today I was off, and tomorrow I was scheduled for my first solo mission. Go figure—it was monster extermination in the slums. Baby steps, I guess. Maybe I should've been grateful after that whole dragon thing; I was starting to underestimate my own bad luck.

Actually, I decided that I didn't mind at all. Killing small fry in the slums might be easy and somewhat boring, but at least that meant I probably wouldn't have to worry about drawing attention to myself.

It would be nice to do some solo missions _outside _of Midgar, though…anything to get out of the city.

Right now I was busy aimlessly wandering the SOLDIER floor, wondering just what I was going to do today. Training had gone by quickly, leaving me with an entire day in my hands and no way to really fill the time.

What I really needed to do was think about how I was going to get my Exsphere back. It had been almost a week already since I had lost it, and the clock was ticking.

Unfortunately, I still had _no _idea what I was going to do. I had to get it back discreetly somehow—if I blew my cover, not only would I be risking my own life, but I would also lose my chance to help Zack. I had to get it back, and I had to destroy it once and for all. I should've done so the second I returned home from Aselia, but of course my stupid sentimentality had caused me to keep it. Hopes that I'd go back someday…what an idiot I was. My Exsphere was the whole reason I had gotten into this mess with Shinra.

There was a human soul inside of that thing. The least I could do is give them their final rest after all of the help they had given me on my last journey. But what the hell could I do, break into the Science Department? Tempting as it was to run in and kick Hojo's ass, I'd be caught for sure.

Well, there had to be _something—_

_"Ripples form on the water's surface_

_The wandering soul knows no rest."_

My train of thought crashed and burned. Gee, I wonder who _that _could possibly be?

"Back from your mission too, huh?" I asked dryly, hearing the sound of his footsteps coming up behind me.

"You've been pacing this floor for the past hour. While entertaining to watch, I'm starting to wonder if you have no better ways to spend your time," the commander remarked smoothly. He circled around to face me, smirking a bit.

"Says the guy who apparently watched me pace for an hour," I shot back, rolling my eyes and walking past him.

He snorted, falling in step with me. "It's a bit difficult not to notice, you know. What in the world has you so worked up?"

I looked away. There was something I really didn't want to talk about. "It's nothing. I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

"I suppose that's one way of putting it," he mused. "Does this have something to do with our dear general?"

That caused me to draw to an abrupt stop, and I gave him an incredulous look. "What the hell does Sephiroth have to do with this?" Seriously? He was the _last _person I wanted to be discussing right now! As if thinking about my Exsphere wasn't stressful enough!

He raised his eyebrows, his lips curling in a smug smile. "So defensive. Sephiroth finally deigns to show his face, and our sole female SOLDIER runs away with her tail between her legs. I do believe you've hurt his pride."

"Yeah, I'm sure he wrote about it in his diary and cried all the way home," I muttered, shaking my head and walking past the First once more. "My tail between my legs? Gimme a break. What're you even getting at?"

He kept pace with me easily. "I'm only curious."

Finally I just heaved a sigh. "Maybe I find him a little intimidating. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Genesis replied dryly. "Intimidating? And what am I, then?"

"Jealous," I replied.

He immediately looked like he'd swallowed something unpleasant. It was actually kind of funny, watching the way the amusement dropped from his face, immediately replaced with a kind of childish petulance.

"What in the world is that supposed to mean?"

I gave him a smug look of my own. "So defensive. Did I hurt your pride?"

When he offered a scowl in reply, I put a hand to my mouth, my shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Ha! I showed him! Maybe next time he'd think twice before following me around solely to annoy me.

"Anyway," I said, snorting, "if that's all you wanted to talk about, I'm going to go—"

"Not quite yet." He cut me off, catching me by the collar of my uniform. "I _did _come find you for a reason."

I paused, wanting to groan. Of course Genesis would take all of two hours to actually get to the damn point. Resisting the urge to huff with irritation, I backed up a step so my collar wasn't digging into my neck. His fingers were still hooked around it.

"Would you let go?" I muttered. "I'm not your dog."

"What you _are _is Third Class," he replied with a smirk. "Taking into account your many breaches of conduct over the last five minutes…at this point, I should think that would be the least of your concerns."

I deadpanned. "You're pulling rank on me, aren't you."

Bigger smirk. "Of course I am. This uniform isn't just for show, you know. Now come with me." With that, he proceeded to start dragging me down the hallway.

"A-Agh! Dammit—uniform's not for show, my ass! What's your problem?! _Genesiiiis!"_

_"My friend, your desire_

_Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess."_

"Even if the morrow is barren of promises, so help me I will kick your poetic ass the second you let me go—ow!"

Genesis cut me off by casually shoving me through a doorway. I promptly stumbled backwards and fell on my butt. He rolled his eyes, walking over and holding a hand out to help me up. I glared at it for a moment before finally relenting and grabbing hold.

After pulling me to my feet, the First walked over to a panel behind him and began punching in a few commands. I frowned, looking around for a moment until it finally registered.

Eh…? We were in the antechamber to the VR training room.

I sobered a bit, letting a breath out slowly to calm myself. Rather than yell at Genesis some more, I just walked up behind him and attempted to see what he was doing.

"It's rude to look over people's shoulders," the First remarked smoothly, not looking up from his work.

"You know what else is rude?" I started, cocking an eyebrow, but Genesis just held up a hand.

"Save your breath. The simulation is starting."

"Why are we entering a simulation?" At this point I didn't even expect an answer, and Genesis didn't disappoint. He just smiled and grabbed me by the shoulders, pushing me through the now-open door.

It slid shut behind us, flickering out of sight as the virtual reality took over. I looked around with a frown; we were in a large, open field. Not all that interesting, really. If Genesis intended to do a practice mission, this was kind of a weird setting for it to take place in.

The commander strolled lazily forward, eventually turning to face me. He reached up to brush his bangs out of his eyes.

"Draw your weapon, SOLDIER."

My brow furrowed. "Wha—hold on, _what? _You dragged me out here to fight you?"

Scarcely a second had passed before Genesis was on me. I was forced to dodge a swipe from his blade, grimacing a little as I leapt backwards. I reflexively pulled Kerberos from its sheath, bringing it up just in time to clash swords with him.

He smirked, pushing forward hard and causing my feet to slide backwards, digging tiny trenches into the ground. I broke contact and twisted to the side, stepping out of range.

"I heard about what happened on your mission with Angeal and the puppy," he explained, circling me. I remained on guard, watching his every move.

"Oh. That." I frowned. "Yeah, it was a stupid mistake. What about it?"

"Well, it occurred to me that I have never seen your so-called strength for myself," Genesis replied. "I won't tolerate sloppiness. I cannot repay my debt to you if you run off and die at the next available opportunity."

I made a face. Sloppy, huh? Dammit! I wasn't just some headstrong idiot that flailed my sword around in hopes of hitting a target. Kratos had taught me better than that.

…Well, fine. Now was my chance to show him. Actually, this could be a learning experience. It had been a long time since I'd had the chance to spar with someone above my level. If I wanted to save Zack, I had to become stronger, didn't I?

"All right, fine. Bring it on," I said, falling into a fighting stance.

"Hmph." Genesis smirked, raising his blade. "With pleasure."

* * *

Needless to say, fighting a First Class SOLDIER was no joke. It had been all of twenty minutes so far, and I was being run ragged.

The redhead sent a lightning spell my way and I quickly dodged to the side, once again sorely wishing I could use Guardian. After my nasty experiences with Kvar, Yuan and the summon spirit Volt, there were few things I hated more than being hit with lightning magic.

Now it was my turn. I lunged, catching his blade with my own and using my momentum to force him backwards. While he was stepping back I twisted my body, charging Kerberos with fire magic.

Genesis saw Hell Pyre coming. His eyes widened slightly, but then I saw one of his hands glow with magic; he immediately lifted an arm, casting Wall the second I threw the ball of fire at him. The barrier diffused the attack and I was forced to go on the defensive the second I landed.

The First lunged, swiping his sword out in a powerful diagonal strike; I parried, his blade glancing off mine and producing a shower of sparks. This continued on for close to a minute, Genesis leaving me no time for a counterattack. I continued to parry and dodge, scanning the situation for any opening I could possibly use.

There! I managed to catch his sword at just the right angle, pushing forward and locking hilts before immediately twisting away. Genesis had to step forward to regain his balance, leaving his back undefended.

Intending to end the battle by pressing Kerberos' tip to the back of his neck, I extended my arm.

"Heh."

Genesis' smug laugh clued me in. My eyes widened and I instinctively leapt backwards, only to see a giant shard of ice crash into the ground where I had been standing moments before.

Then Genesis cut through the ice, leaping past it to engage me once more. I parried, forcing him back, and then swiped my sword along the ground in a fire-charged Demon Fang. He swatted the magic away with his own sword and lunged at me. The battle continued.

There were a few things I had learned from fighting Genesis. One, despite everything that I'd been through over the past few weeks, I was _really _rusty as far as swordfighting went. There was only so much solo training on Earth could've done for me. I had several close very calls in the first few minutes of the fight, but thankfully now I had started to warm up and remember some of the techniques that Kratos had beaten into my head.

Two, the lack of my artes was an enormous setback when it came to challenging opponents. I kept having to stop myself from using Beast or Hurricane Thrust or half of the other artes I hadn't adapted to this world yet. Guardian was still the one I missed the most, because it took a lot more energy running around and dodging stuff when I could've just blocked it before.

Three, I had a long way to go with materia and Genesis seemed to take great pleasure in making this _painfully _obvious. He was starting to get serious, the smirk falling off his face and his focus shifting to magic as this was his obvious advantage.

I dodged several fireballs, grimacing and cursing this world for the existence of materia. Genesis never would've been able to pull this crap off on Aselia. But even then, he'd probably have some awesome artes to make up for it…dammit.

He parried my next few attacks, sending me flying backwards from the sheer force of his own counterattack. I just barely managed to turn myself in midair so that I landed on my feet, sliding backwards in the grass. The field had already been damaged quite a bit from our fight.

I saw the glow of magic come from him once more. What was he casting this time? I tensed, preparing myself. If it was ice, maybe I could counter with my Fire materia—

Hearing the sound of something large rushing through the air, I instinctively leapt to the side. A large flaming rock crashed into the ground where I had been standing, sending dirt and debris flying everywhere. Holy shit—Comet?!

No. Not just Comet, the next step up—there were more coming. Was this jackass trying to kill me?!

Suddenly I found myself jumping from one spot to the next, pushing my SOLDIER reflexes to the limit. Each time I jumped, a comet crashed into the spot I had previously been. I cut through one of the boulders with my sword, leaping through the gap between each half. Genesis appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the other side, catching me completely off guard.

His sword connected hard with mine in another powerful hit, and I flew back into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I fought to gather my bearings, but it was too late. When I tried to sit up, I felt the point of his blade digging into my neck.

"Nngh…" I groaned, flopping back down and attempting to catch my breath.

I heard the hiss of Genesis' blade falling back into its sheath. There was the sound of footsteps; he walked away for a second, paused, and then came back. In the next second I saw his hand held out above me. Sighing, I reached out and allowed him to pull me to my feet. I noticed that the simulation had ended, the grass beneath me replaced with a metal floor.

He was frowning at me. I had to wonder just what he was thinking about; after everything that had just happened, I had been expecting him to gloat at least a little.

"I believe this is yours," he said, holding Kerberos out to me by the base of the hilt. I took it from him.

The First tilted his head slightly, watching me. "It's an interesting sword. I have to wonder, though, how a mere mercenary could afford a blade crafted from adamantite."

My eyebrows flew up. "Adamantite? So that's what it's made of…"

Genesis gave me an incredulous look. "You didn't know?"

"Well, no," I replied, a little sheepish. "My father gave it to me, and I never asked." I sheathed the sword, not wanting Genesis to ask about the inscription on the blade as well.

Kerberos was a standard Cruxis weapon; as Cruxis had basically ruled the world for millennia prior to my journey in Aselia, it didn't surprise me that they'd have the resources to create weapons from such a valuable metal. Suspicious, though…how could I explain my weapon to the people here? The only solution I knew was either to be deliberately vague or feign ignorance.

"Your father, hmm…" Genesis replied, looking thoughtful. "Your fighting style deviates from standard SOLDIER form as well. I suppose he is responsible?"

I nodded. "He taught me just about everything I know." This subject was making me uncomfortable. I just sighed, turning away from the First. "Anyway, I fought you like you wanted. Happy now?"

"Hmph. I'm beginning to understand now why you were recruited," Genesis replied, his stare practically burning holes in my back. "The fact that you lasted longer than five minutes against me speaks for itself."

_"Someone _thinks very highly of himself," I muttered.

"To be honest, initially I was quite skeptical that the same girl who was fleeing officers in Junon could have possibly been scouted for SOLDIER. If not for that…incident, you would have struck me as nothing more than a troublemaking kid."

"Kid?" I paused, making a face at him over my shoulder. "I'm twenty-one, hotshot."

He smirked, pressing onward as if I hadn't spoken at all. "Your swordplay is above average and you're quick on your feet. If you were indeed able to defeat a Zolom prior to enhancements, I'm _very _curious to find out about this father of yours and how he has managed to avoid drawing Shinra's attention for this long."

Bad subject! I tensed before I could stop myself, and then immediately tried to hide my own discomfort.

"…He's always kept to himself," I replied.

"Another vague response. How predictable," he said, smiling. "'Infinite in mystery'…fitting indeed."

"Can I go now?" I interjected in a whiny voice, pretending not to be bothered by his words.

He abruptly sobered at that, giving me a stern look that left me taken aback.

"Though you clearly know how to use a sword, your knowledge of materia leaves something to be desired. This I will not tolerate."

"Huh?" My brow furrowed. "Uh…I know I'm not that good, but I'm just starting to learn—"

"Unacceptable," Genesis cut me off. "Still only using base-level spells. I want you using second-tier by the end of the month. That's the only way you'll make it to—" He stopped, chuckling seemingly to a private joke.

Oh-kaaay… "Well, sounds like a good goal. I'll get right on that." I turned to go, only to have him catch me by the collar again. Dammit!

"Angeal's training focuses primarily on swordplay and physical endurance," Genesis said, yanking me backwards. "You're not challenging yourself enough. I'm having you transferred over to me."

"Wh-What?" Genesis as a mentor? This whole infuriating process repeating itself every morning? I was having nightmares already!

"It's important that you remain invaluable to Shinra," Genesis added in a lower voice. "You should be thanking me."

I faltered, frowning as I mulled that over. The thought that Shinra might decide that I was more of a liability than an asset…was not so far-fetched. Which meant I had to earn my keep if I wanted to stay alive around here. If I didn't produce the results they expected…if I was just another forgettable low-rank SOLDIER…

Agh! But at the same time, drawing too much attention to myself was bad! What was the middle ground, anyway?!

"I guess it's useless to protest," I replied with a heavy sigh. "…Thanks for looking out for me."

"Good girl," he said, patting me lightly on the head. "Now run along; I have some important business to attend to."

"You—!" That pompous ass! I found my fists clenching with annoyance, but I forced myself to turn away and walk towards the exit. When I couldn't think of any witty retorts to his patronizing words, I just let out an angry huff and stormed away.

Genesis was still chuckling as the door slid shut behind me.

* * *

**A/N: Oh yeah, it's happening. Feel the Genesis love. Writing OC Brit and Gen snarking at each other constantly is just too fun to pass up. XD Their friendship will be..._interesting, _to say the least.**

**Kudos to Sylph Writer and her awesome fanart - Genesis grabbing Brit by the collar is now probably going to be a regular gesture of his, because the thought of it amuses me so much. XD If you haven't seen the art I'm referring to, feel free to look her up on DeviantArt (since this site always eats any links I try to post).**

**Not too much plot advancement in this one (who am I kidding, there's not much of a plot going yet) but I'm still kind of setting things up. XD Character interactions are too much fun, and there are so many damn characters to meet!**

**Next time: Solo mission; Aerith.**


	10. Flower Girl

**A/N: Chapter 10 at last! Whew, this one was overdue. Sorry, but December was just a busy month for me. I try, but real life intervenes quite often, as we all know. XD**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"Well, look who it is. I feel like it's been forever since I last saw you. How've you been?"

I looked up, instantly smiling as Kunsel walked into the room. We were in one of the break rooms next to the SOLDIER lounge; there was a table with some chairs in here, a small kitchenette, and—most importantly—a coffee machine. This place was usually my first stop after training, and today in particular I had really needed it.

"Pretty good, thanks. What about you? Where'd you get shipped off to?"

He just laughed, making a beeline for the coffee machine. "Kalm. Just busywork, really. Looks like things are quieting down a bit now that the war's over."

"Yeah, I guess so," I replied.

Staring at my coffee for a moment, I contemplated this. Quieting down…at this point in the original storyline, Genesis would've deserted by now, taking a bunch of SOLDIERs with him. He was still here, which meant…nothing was happening? Apparently. But that didn't mean everything was okay.

Having poured himself some coffee, Kunsel walked over and took a seat across from me. He wasn't wearing his helmet, so he must've had the day off today.

"So…" He tilted his head a little. "Genesis, huh?"

"You're up to date on your intel, as usual," I replied with a snort.

"Actually, I saw you when I passed by the training room earlier. Angeal filled in the blanks." Kunsel chuckled. "How's that working out for you?"

"That guy…" I made a face. "No, I can't even describe it. He takes 'overbearing' to the extreme. He makes cryptic remarks and quotes LOVELESS as an explanation to everything, and half the time it's not even relevant!" I gestured wildly with frustration. "I don't know how Angeal puts up with him."

"They've apparently been best friends since childhood," the Second said, his eyes full of mirth. "They balance each other out, most likely."

I breathed a sigh. That reasoning did make sense to some extent…those two were complete opposites. Childhood tended to bring together some pretty unlikely people, too. Even so…maybe I was just missing something. Genesis had to have _some _redeeming traits aside from his combat prowess in order for Angeal and Sephiroth to put up with him.

Now I nearly groaned, resisting the urge to smack my forehead on the table. Of course he had redeeming traits! He just derived too much amusement from not showing them to me.

"The Commander's pretty well-known for his domineering personality," Kunsel remarked, taking a sip of his coffee. "He's taken on students before, but they never last long. Seems like he's impatient—he gets bored with this sort of thing easily."

My posture straightened a little. Was that a ray of hope I saw? "Hey…d'you think he'll get bored soon and transfer me back over to Angeal's regiment?"

He tilted his head a bit. "Well, this situation's a little different. Everyone I've ever seen train with him had to spend a while persuading him beforehand. This is the first time he's ever taken an interest on his own."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Oh…should I be worried?"

The Second snorted. "It might just mean you have potential. Come on, you _were _recruited by the Turks, just like he was."

That gave me pause, and I sobered a bit. "He was too?"

Kunsel nodded. "Yeah—him and Angeal, around…six or seven years ago? In any case, it was back in the early years of the war. We had scouts everywhere looking for good SOLDIER candidates. Some of their recruits turned out to be the best, as you can see."

I frowned slightly; it wasn't any coincidence. Somehow I doubted Shinra ever had any intention of leaving those two alone. They were both caught in the spider's web from birth…how unfair.

"So just take it in stride," Kunsel said, bringing me back to the present. "Zack's come really far with a First as his mentor. You've just been given the same opportunity. Not that it'll be easy, but if you can survive the Commander's training, you're up for just about anything."

"Hmm…you're probably right," I relented, leaning back in my seat. And maybe I could practice reining in my temper, since otherwise it wouldn't be long before I ran out of hair to rip out.

We talked for another ten or fifteen minutes, enough time for each of us to finish a cup or two of coffee. Talking to the Second served to relax me a bit after the stressful training session earlier. I privately hoped I would run into him more often—he wasn't bad company.

Finally I had to leave, as I still had to report for a quick mission briefing before heading out. I said my reluctant goodbye, and then made my way to the assigned briefing room.

* * *

It was like a breath of fresh air to finally step off the train and be alone for once. Well—it wasn't literal fresh air, since I was in the Sector 5 slums, but still.

The mission briefing had given me about all the information I needed; there were groups of monsters nesting in scrap heaps on the outskirts of the sector, and I was to clear them out. With all of the pollution and mako mutations occurring in Midgar, it'd be impossible to eradicate all monsters completely from the slums, but clearing out this individual section would be easy enough. Until they repopulated, anyway.

Either way, this was a mission I could probably pull off blindfolded. Monster extermination was no big deal to me; I'd had enough of it in these last few weeks alone, never mind the long months I had spent in Aselia.

It was good, though. I needed time to think uninterrupted, and now I had it. This entire day was allotted for the mission, and I could take my time if I really wanted to.

Sector 5 was, thankfully, not the sector with Wall Market in it. I had been a little concerned upon hearing I was going to the slums, since I couldn't exactly remember the significance of each sector. I just knew that 7 was where Tifa's bar was—or would be, anyway.

So Wall Market had to be in…6, then? Probably. This sector looked pretty familiar; it was one of the places explored in the beginning of FFVII, I could recall that much. I wandered down the street, subconsciously watching my footing as I did so. The pavement down here was extensively cracked, giving way completely to dirt in some areas.

This was the first time I'd been able to take a serious look at the slums—my mission down here with Kunsel had been pretty exclusively in the Train Graveyard, and we hadn't really gone into any residential areas.

It was hard to imagine what life must be like down here, but it looked like everyone managed in their own ways. There was actually a bar and a few eating establishments that looked half-decent, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to take a look; everyone around here gave me the same mistrustful look. They'd probably spit in my food if I sat down for a bite. My eyes were a dead giveaway—it was too bad, too. Above-plate eating was so damn expensive, and you were pretty much guaranteed to have Shinra personnel in the vicinity. Basically it was impossible to have a private conversation in upper Midgar.

Though the massive plate blotted out all sunlight and cut out a lot of air circulation, it did also block out the elements. Many of the houses down here were shingled with scrap metal and various other materials, and a lot of it looked pretty flimsy. I began to get a feel for what the climate (if you could call it that) must be like down here—stuffy and warm year round. Even in winter, the plate and the walls surrounding the city would create one big insulated bubble.

Right now it was midafternoon on an early summer day, and it was pretty hot down here. There were some fans here and there blowing the warm air around, but I was still sweating and wishing that my uniform didn't include a thick turtleneck. The second I got back above-plate, I was buying some real summer clothes. Preferably some flip flops to replace these heavy boots.

I found myself eyeing one restaurant in particular that had a tempting sign (AIR CONDITIONING! 12-8 PM!) hung above the door, but forced myself to resist the urge. My mission came first—besides, Shinra HQ had all the A/C I could ever need, thank god. Working for those assholes did have its perks.

The mission, right. The designated area was about a half-mile beyond this little neighborhood, if I remembered correctly.

Ignoring the looks I got from the people I passed, I made my way down the street. After a few minutes of walking, the houses gradually dwindled to nothing. I passed through a gate to a fence, and then I was walking along a deserted road amongst heaps of scrap metal and rock.

This looked like the place. I drew my sword and turned to the right, moving off the main road. Then began the business of scouring the scrap heaps for monsters.

It didn't take me long to find some; the company had lent me an Enemy Lure materia for this mission. Before I knew it I had monsters practically launching themselves at me. They were relatively weak, though, so the work was about as difficult (and interesting) as cutting grass. I swung Kerberos left and right, my mind on other things as I fended off the beasts.

Exsphere, Exsphere…what was I going to do about it? If I were going to somehow break into the Science Department, I might as well off Hojo while I was at it—kill two birds with one stone. But that was a ridiculous plan; I couldn't just waltz into a top-secret area. I needed authorization, some kind of key card. And then there was the matter of those pesky security cameras…

I grimaced, lashing out with my sword and cutting a Hedgehog Pie in two. Yeah, in my free time I had refreshed my memory and read up on the monsters in the area—and what the hell kind of name was Hedgehog Pie, anyway? Whatever. I could name most of them, though sometimes I did contemplate investing in a Sense materia.

Three more monsters fell before my blade and I moved on, absentmindedly checking the time on my phone. Three pm.

Eh? I had a new message. I opened it up, curious.

_From: Kunsel_

_Subject: Sector 5_

_Hey, how's your first solo mission going? You must be bored out of your mind. The monsters around that area are nothing special. Keep your eyes peeled for any Hell Houses, though. Those things can pack a punch—best to take them out quickly, since drawn out battles with them tend to get hairy._

_Zack's checking out a distress call at one of the construction sites in the upper city, but I think he'll be finished up soon. You up for drinks this time around? Give me a call when you're done; I know a good spot near where you are._

I finished reading and pocketed the phone, letting out a quiet laugh before I could stop myself. This was the third time I'd been invited out with them; what excuse could I give this time?

Moving on, I cut down a few more monsters that wandered into my path. Encounters were becoming a lot more infrequent, and I suspected that I had more than met my quota. It was nearly time to be done.

My mind wandered back to Kunsel's message. Ah, hell…why bother refusing? A few drinks and good company sounded pretty nice right now, and I was still relatively presentable, albeit a little sweaty. I liked Kunsel and I wasn't going to let anything happen to Zack, so it couldn't hurt to make friends. It'd be a relief to drop my guard and relax for once.

All right, then. I'd make one last round of this place and then I'd call him up.

I lowered my sword a bit, slowly making my way back to the main road. Well, there went my private time…I still hadn't come up with a solution for anything. Smashing my way into the Science Department was completely out of the question, not to mention practically impossible with how the building's security was. I needed someone on the inside, but I didn't know any—

"Aaaah!"

My head snapped up at the sound of a feminine cry, and I lunged out on to the road. A trio of Whole Eaters were moving towards a blue-clad girl, who seemed to have tripped and fallen in her effort to get away.

Hold on, I knew that girl!

Concentrating, I waved one arm and sent a fireball in the monsters' direction. It was relatively weak—my mind flashed back to Genesis scoffing at me this morning—but at least it distracted them. The Whole Eaters turned towards me, tails poised aggressively.

No sense in wasting time while their focus was shifted. I leapt forward, cutting through two of them in one swipe; then I twisted in the air, sending a Hell Pyre at the third. The attack hit dead on, the force of it flipping the now-singed monster on to its back. Its insectile legs curled slightly, and then it was still.

I eyed the three monsters carefully, and then swept the surroundings with a quick glance. Nothing moved; I relaxed slightly.

"Oh…thank you!" The girl was slightly breathless, but offered me a relieved smile from her spot on the ground.

"No problem. Are you okay? You didn't twist your ankle or anything, did you?" I held out a hand. She paused for a moment, giving me a long, searching look. Then she reached out and took it, allowing me to help her up.

"I'm okay!" The girl said brightly, brushing her dress off. "I was just startled, that's all. It's been a while since I've seen monsters on this road."

"Yeah…that might be my fault," I admitted sheepishly. "I was clearing the area out, so I probably stirred them all up. I didn't mean to get you caught up in it."

She shook her head. "You saved me, so it's all right."

I glanced around us again, frowning. Aerith was a slender girl with no muscle to speak of, and she wasn't even carrying a staff or weapon of any sort. She wouldn't stand a chance even against weak monsters, and if she was attacked by a group again…

"Do you mind if I escort you back to wherever you're going? I don't think there should be many monsters left, but all the same…"

"Sure! I like having company," she replied. "I'm Aerith."

"Brittany," I said with a smile, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you."

It was strange; looking at her now, I could tell that Aerith couldn't be older than sixteen or seventeen. The same feeling came over me as when I met Zack. It was strange to think that this young girl bore such a heavy burden. The Holy materia…her Cetra heritage, and the voice of the Planet…

_I can save you, too._

We started walking, and I mulled over that sudden thought. Save Zack, and Zack will protect Aerith…Stop Sephiroth, and the crisis will be averted entirely. Her death was at least five years down the road; there were plenty of ways to change things and save her.

The walk didn't take very long. Within a few minutes, I saw a ray of light shining down from above, coming from a gap in the plate; it was shining on to a very familiar church. That was actually really pretty…

"I've never seen a girl with a big sword before," Aerith remarked, breaking me out of my thoughts. She was watching me curiously. "How come you were fighting monsters?"

"I…I work for Shinra," I replied. Agh, I hated admitting it. "It's just part of a mission."

"Hmm…" Her look just grew even more curious after that, but instead of asking more questions she just gestured to the building ahead. "We're here. Wanna come inside?"

I blinked, taken aback at the invitation. Well…I _did _have time…and I kind of wanted to see what Aerith was like. Why not?

"Sure," I replied. "I can hang out for a few minutes."

She smiled and led the way into the church. I followed closely behind, feeling my footsteps slow as I stepped through the doorway. Suddenly a feeling of nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks, and I came to a halt.

This was…wow.

Soft light filtered in through the tall windows, bathing the pews and the center aisle in a warm glow. A hole in the ceiling above let in some light as well; a single bright ray fell on a bed of yellow and white flowers at the far end of the church. It was an old building; some of the pews looked ready to fall apart, and the wood beneath my feet was worn. Somehow, the ancient look of the place made it that much more beautiful.

How many years had it been since I first set eyes on this church in the game? I couldn't even remember. This was the first truly iconic place I had seen since coming to this world, and it was surreal.

Aerith walked down the center aisle, carrying a small paper bag she had brought back from wherever she had gone earlier. She paused when she no longer heard my footsteps, and turned to look at me over her shoulder.

"You can come in, silly," she offered.

I jumped a little, then smiled sheepishly before moving to follow her deeper into the building. She made her way right up to the flowerbed, bending over a bit to check on them and looking right at home.

I walked up to one of the nearest pews, sitting down lightly to see if it would support my weight. It did, and I relaxed.

"Flowers in Midgar…?" I piped up, watching her. "That's not a common sight."

She smiled. "They only grow here. Aren't they pretty?"

"Yeah…"

"I bought some fertilizer earlier," she said, holding up the bag she'd brought. "If any of them start to wilt, this makes them happy again."

I tilted my head a little, watching her tend to the flowers. Somehow watching her like this was really relaxing; the only thing the scene was missing was the sound of birds chirping, but I knew that'd be too much to expect in Midgar.

The flowers looked like a mix of daffodils and lilies. They reminded me somewhat of my mom, who had always planted flowers like this in her garden. The daffodils were always the first to bloom, their yellow buds a sure signal that spring was coming. Even the flowers in this place gave me a feeling of warm nostalgia.

It was…sad, though. This church and memories of Aerith's death went hand in hand. The girl before me was Aerith, but again, she wasn't yet the woman who would sacrifice herself for the Planet. Still…

"You must be tired," Aerith remarked.

I looked up, raising my eyebrows a little. "Huh?"

"You've got a heavy burden on your shoulders," she elaborated, clasping her hands to her heart. It was a gesture that reminded me strongly of Colette.

"What makes you think that?" I asked slowly, my brow furrowing.

"The flowers told me," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone, smiling.

"…The Planet?" I murmured before I could stop myself.

Aerith's eyes widened with surprise, but then she simply looked down with a thoughtful frown. "So you know about that too…"

"The Planet told you about me?" I asked, trying to keep my sudden desperation out of my tone. I glanced at the door to the church, making sure that there wasn't anyone lurking within hearing distance.

She bit her lip for a moment before nodding. "Mmhmm. Just that you're not from around here…and you know things."

I watched her, mystified. So…the Planet was aware of me…did that mean something? It had to…though it wasn't much to go on, that tiny bit of information was all I had in regards to how and why I was here. Maybe there _was_ an explanation and possibly a way back; I just had to keep searching.

"I'm supposed to tell you something. Hmm…" She put a finger to her lower lip, thinking. Then her eyes brightened and she smiled at me. "Oh, right. 'You're not alone. Everything's going to be okay.' How's that?"

I blinked. "What…?"

"Don't worry so much. You can trust me," she said. "If you're ever feeling tired, come and visit, okay? Everyone has to rest sometimes."

The look in her eyes suggested that she knew more than she was letting on. Strangely enough, it was comforting somehow. I really wasn't alone.

"…Maybe I will," I said, staring pensively at the bed of flowers. "Thanks…Aerith."

"You don't have to thank me!" She assured me. "Just think of it as payment for saving me. We're even now!"

I laughed a little, opening my mouth to reply, but the sound of Victory Fanfare cut me off. My face fell; what now? I pulled my phone out of my pocket, flipping it open.

"Hello?"

_"Yo! Just got off the train at the Sector 5 platform. You coming?"_

I started a little. When had I given Zack my—oh, he must've stolen it off my phone when he was giving me his number. Jeez, I wouldn't put it past him.

"Uh…yeah, I'm finished up, but where—"

_"Foxwoods. It's a tavern in the slums; Kunsel and I go there all the time. Know where it is?"_

Foxwoods…that was familiar. Right, it was that one place that had the air conditioning sign above the door.

"Sure," I replied. "I'll be there in ten."

_"Sounds good!" _came the cheerful reply. _"See you then!"_

"Yeah, see you," I said, and hung up.

Aerith was giving me a curious look. I just shrugged, standing up and rubbing the back of my neck.

"Well, I guess I have to go…it was nice meeting you, Aerith."

"Same to you!" she replied. "Come back anytime."

With that, I made my way out of the church—with no small amount of reluctance. As I turned my back to the flowerbed and walked back down the aisle, I heard the faint sound of Aerith humming to herself as she worked.

Then I was outside on the street again, leaving the church behind. I sighed; time to go back to reality. But I'd definitely be swinging by here again. If only there was some way for me to tell her everything without the Turks overhearing…but if she really was being constantly watched, I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk it. There was no telling what they'd do with that information.

There were times when the Compilation painted the Turks in a more positive light, but still…I couldn't forget the image of Tseng slapping Aerith, or of Reno dropping the plate. Ugh…Tseng had wanted to rescue Zack, but then I had also seen him shooting Jace in cold blood! What was I supposed to think? It was safer to avoid those shady guys altogether.

As I was mulling this over, I felt something bump my foot. I frowned and looked down; a small green bottle was slowly rolling away. Hmm…?

Bending over, I picked it up to examine it. A few bizarre names were written on the label—chemicals? It didn't matter, because below that the word "fertilizer" was written, and I immediately knew whom it belonged to. This must have fallen out of Aerith's bag when she tripped; had she noticed she was missing a bottle? At least it didn't seem to be cracked at all from the fall. I pushed the bottle into my bag, deciding to give it back to her the next time I saw her.

Now I walked back through the gate to the fence, moving back into the neighborhood I had been in earlier. It was easy enough to find the tavern Zack had mentioned. I paused to brush some of the dust from my clothes, and then walked through the front door.

For a moment I hesitated, looking around. The tavern wasn't very busy since it was still a little early; the few people sitting at the bar offered me some indifferent looks before turning back to their beers.

Then I saw a hand waving me over, and I turned to find Kunsel and Zack sitting in a booth at the far end of the room.

"Hey! I was wondering if you'd show," Zack remarked as I slid in next to him.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "I don't bail on plans. If I didn't want to come, I would've said so."

"That's good to hear," the teen replied. "Then again, I guess you don't seem like the flaky type."

"I'm glad," I said with a snort. It would've sucked if I generally came off as a scatterbrained ditz.

"How'd the mission go?" Kunsel asked me.

"Easy enough," I said, pausing to order a beer when a waiter came by. "Thanks for the advice, but I didn't actually run into any Hell Houses."

Oh, speaking of which…I reached over to my left bracer, extracting the Enemy Lure and placing it in my bag. Wouldn't be too pretty if monsters tried following me in here, after all.

Zack shuddered. "Maaan…I remember the first time I fought one of those things. This shack on the side of the road just grew arms and tried to _eat _me—I thought I was losing it."

"They're just monsters that use manmade structures as a shell," Kunsel said, smirking a little at his friend. "For some reason they usually stick to small buildings. It's the main reason why you shouldn't trust any abandoned looking places outside of the neighborhoods down here."

"That just sounds bizarre…" I remarked, grinning. "All I saw were Whole Eaters and Hedgehog Pies."

Zack gave me an incredulous look. "That's all? Why're they still treating you like a rookie? Not cool. I'd be bored out of my mind."

"Well, this _was _her first solo mission," Kunsel pointed out.

"Anyone who can kill a Nibel dragon on their own has no business being in Third, never mind any of that," Zack said.

"True," his friend acknowledged, giving me a thoughtful look. "And then there's the Zolom and the Malboro."

"Both of which are apparently falling into legend," I said, rolling my eyes. The waiter brought over my beer, and I took a long drink.

"I'm serious!" Zack thumped me on the back. "It's just stupid that they recruited you and won't even give you any breathing room."

"Yeah, well I don't really care either way," I replied with a shrug. "It's a paycheck, right?"

"Technically it'd be a bigger paycheck if you were in Second," Kunsel informed me.

Zack frowned, taking a sip of his drink and thinking this over. Suddenly his eyes brightened as if he'd thought of something, and he turned to me again.

"You said you joined SOLDIER because you want to protect someone. If you want to do that, you'll have to become stronger, right?" He nodded to me with a determined look. "That won't happen if you're stuck taking out small fry on every mission."

…Oh. That was something to think about.

After all, I had a _lot _of potential obstacles around me. Genesis was originally a villain, Angeal might still desert, and Sephiroth…god, _Sephiroth. _No matter what happened, there was still the possibility that I'd have to fight him at some point. Those nightmares hung over me like a dark cloud.

It was true…I still wasn't strong enough. All of the Firsts were still on a way higher level than me.

"I guess you have a point…" I relented, frowning.

The raven-haired teen just offered a grin. "It's settled then. We'll vouch for you! Hey, I'll talk to Angeal about it, too."

About what…? Getting me more difficult missions, or having me promoted? Ack, I wasn't sure which one sounded worse.

"Zack, I think you've lost her," Kunsel said with a laugh.

I grimaced slightly, and then immediately changed the subject. Talking about work and Shinra just made me uneasy.

We sat and talked for the next two hours, the conversation flowing easily between us. Kunsel and Zack had a ton of funny stories to tell me about their early days as cadets, and there were a few occasions when I was laughing so hard I was near tears. In turn I told them some stories of my own, altering the scenarios and place names slightly to better fit this world. They both loved the story of the time I pulled Kratos into Lake Umacy.

After a while, it felt like I was among old friends. Zack and Kunsel were both so laid back and easy to get along with; I found myself more relaxed than I had been in a long while. Why had I been avoiding hanging out with them for so long? This was just a reminder of how much I _needed _friends.

Finally Kunsel said that he had to get going, as he had a few things to take care of before his next mission tomorrow. Zack and I sat and talked for a few more minutes after that before deciding that we both had to get going as well.

When we left the bar and were walking in the general direction of the station, an idea suddenly struck me and I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Huh? What's up?" Zack turned and looked at me curiously.

"Crap…" I muttered, feigning dismay. "I forgot all about it…hey, Zack, is there any way you could do me a favor?"

"Sure," he replied easily. "What is it?"

I pulled the bottle of fertilizer out of my bag, holding it up to him. "Um…so a friend of mine dropped this when I was visiting them earlier. I was going to run back and return it, but then you called…anyway, I have something else that I really need to take care of and I can't head over there now. Any way you could drop by and give it back for me?"

Zack took the bottle from me, examining it curiously. "No problem. I've got time."

"Thanks! I owe you," I said, smiling brightly. "Okay, so it's just down the road that way." I pointed towards the gate I had come from earlier. "Just keep heading straight, and you'll come to an old church—you can't miss it. I think they'll still be there…if not, just leave it somewhere obvious."

"You got it!" He said with a thumbs up, immediately moving in the direction I had pointed. "Well, I'll get going then. See you back at HQ!"

My smile turned into a full-on grin as I watched him run off. Excitable as usual…but that had been easier than expected. Hopefully everything would work out.

I turned and made my way for the Sector 5 platform, walking with a bounce in my step.

* * *

**A/N: Couldn't resist. XD Don't worry, though-I'm sure Zack will still crash through the church roof at some point, just because that scenario is too funny.**

**Still trying to get used to writing Aerith. I tried to keep her in character, but I realized that most of the scenes I remember involve her flirting with Cloud or Zack. Yeah, not a good reference to use for her interactions with another girl. Then there's the fact that half her lines in FFVII are horrendously translated (DERP, THIS GUY ARE SICK). XD**

**Other than that...another chapter with little plot progression? YOU BET. I'm getting things moving, though. Slowly...!**

**Yes, OC Brit, Zack and Kunsel are drinking ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGESSS here. Drinking age in Midgar is eighteen because I said so, and the slums don't really enforce it. XD Just seems more realistic as America's practically the only place that's so crazy strict about it.**

**Well, that's all for now. Reviewwww~**

**Next time: Loyalty and trust. Exsphere. Forming a plan.**


	11. Joining Forces

**A/N: Holy crap fiiiinally. At long last I have emerged from the hell that was this winter! Sorry this took so damn long.**

**Bah, I've stayed up too late writing this...not going to say much here, since I have to get some sleep. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**Also, brace yourselves. You've all been waiting to see him again, and here he comes...**

* * *

_To: Genesis_

_Subject: No Subject_

_Hey…I forgot to tell you about it this morning, but there's something I want to talk to you about. You're on duty right now, I know, but maybe grab a drink with me somewhere tonight?_

* * *

_From: Genesis_

_Subject: My friend, your desire…_

_My, we're rather forward, aren't we?_

_I should be back in Midgar by seven this evening. Name the place and I'll be there._

* * *

_To: Genesis_

_Subject: Re: My friend, your desire…_

_Foxwoods Tavern, Sector 5 slums. It's about a five-minute walk south of the station. _

_And I'm not asking you on a date, smartass._

* * *

_From: Genesis_

_Subject: The fates are cruel_

_How unfortunate. Chivalry dictates that I must still pay for your drinks, so I hope you make it worth my while._

* * *

Flipping the phone shut, I let out a groan. Did he even understand how _wrong _that sounded? Maybe hanging out with Zelos had made me extra sensitive to any sort of sexual innuendoes or euphemisms, but somehow I had a feeling Genesis knew exactly how his words could be construed. He really enjoyed giving me a hard time.

Right now it was early afternoon, the day after my solo mission in the slums. Today I had the day off; after a rigorous training session with Genesis this morning, I had spent some time having a coffee in the break room before changing into civilian clothes and pacing the SOLDIER floor for a bit. I was avoiding the western end of the floor because I had caught a glimpse of Sephiroth slipping into one of the briefing rooms over there. I made sure to keep a set of elevators within a safe distance in case I needed to make a quick escape.

To be honest, though, Sephiroth was far from my top concern today. I had a few nagging worries—what Aerith had said, the Turks, the constant burden of foreknowledge—but those were in the background. What was worrying me the most right now was, of course, what I'd just set in motion. I hadn't asked Genesis to meet me tonight just so we could socialize.

It had taken me close to two hours of fighting with myself before I finally reached the decision to contact him. Was there no possible alternative? Could I really trust him? How was I going to react when this inevitably blew up in my face? I still had no concrete answers to any of these questions, but eventually I got fed up with constantly battling my own doubt.

The fact of the matter was, I needed to get my Exsphere back and I had already waited way too long to take action. I didn't know who to turn to; I had no real allies here. I was alone.

So I had decided…I was going to try asking Genesis for help. I had no idea how I was going to go about this; it was probably going to involve telling him some measure of the truth, but I wasn't sure just how much I was going to tell and how much I was going to be able to hide from him.

Anyway, I spent the next hour after I messaged him just pacing around the floor and feeling apprehensive about the whole thing. Worrying probably wasn't doing me any good, but I couldn't help it. If this went badly, it could screw me over completely. It wasn't like I got second chances. He could fork me over to Shinra or something and I'd be either dead or in hiding by this time tomorrow.

It was only two in the afternoon. I couldn't keep pacing around like this; I'd drive myself crazy. What I really needed was some way to occupy my time until tonight, but Zack and Kunsel were both out and I wasn't sure when they were coming back. I could go visit Aerith, but I didn't want to set off any red flags with the Turks by going down there too often. I might be better off waiting until Zack started going to see her; I'd let the Turks focus on him, and then maybe I could pretend I had become friends with her through Zack.

Hmm…there was a library of sorts in the employee recreational area on the 64th floor; maybe I could just hang out there, get a coffee and read for a while.

Finally coming to a decision, I turned and started to make my way towards the elevators. Maybe a good nonfiction…I just didn't have time for novels. It might be prudent to study up a little more on this world, especially if my backstory was that of a well-traveled mercenary.

I rounded the corner, catching a glimpse of the elevator doors opening as I did so. My blood froze; I immediately ducked back behind the corner, quietly peering around the edge for a moment.

That was Hojo exiting the elevator. He was with two assistants, both wearing the typical white lab coats of the Science Department. They all walked out into the hallway, pausing for a moment as Hojo said something to them.

Part of my mind was kicking into overdrive. Kill Hojo? No, not here; I'd definitely be seen, not to mention too many people here had the strength to easily apprehend me. But dammit, he was _right there!_

…His assistants were a liability; if I somehow managed to kill him, I'd have to take them out, too. It was just out of the question.

I suppressed a sigh, calming myself. Instead of making a move, I waited to see which way they were going to go.

They confirmed my suspicions by heading in the general direction of the VR training room. I had seen people from the Science Department running tests there from time to time, and I'd heard Hojo sometimes showed up there, but this was the first I'd really seen of him.

Ugh. The training room was down this hallway; they were going to see me if I stayed here, and the last thing I wanted was to run into _that _creep. I didn't want Hojo to know I existed—not until the day came that I ran him through.

If I wanted to get to the elevators, I'd have to circle around the other way. I turned around, heading back the way I came and slipping into a side hallway that led to the west end.

I made my way down the new route, taking note as I heard the footsteps and voices of Hojo and his men get fainter until they faded away to nothing. Whew, there was one bad situation successfully averted. Now then—

New set of footsteps, coming from up ahead. Who was that?

Oh, _Christ._

I saw the silver hair and immediately wanted to turn tail and run, but it was too late. Sephiroth had already rounded the corner and spotted me. Our eyes met; no chance for escape now. My mind blanked out for a second as I remembered pools of blood and a town burning, burning…

Then it passed and I automatically snapped off a salute. It was what was required, and all I could think of to do. Just act natural and don't let him smell your fear and maybe he'll just keep walking…just _keep walking, _dammit…

"Relax," Sephiroth commanded with a small nod, and I let my hand fall. He slowed when he reached me; shit. This was going to be more than a passing acknowledgement in the hallway, wasn't it? Why me? Shit, shit, _shit._

"SOLDIER Third Class Brittany Furness," he said, holding my gaze. His lips quirked up slightly. "How fortunate. I've been meaning to speak with you, but you've proven quite elusive."

_Good to see you, Cloud._

It was the same expression on his face, the same tone of voice. The sound of my name on his lips gave me a chill. I had liked Sephiroth in Crisis Core—I really had. But now that I was face-to-face with him, all I could think of were the nightmares…and my memories of him in the original game. The sense of dread that came whenever Sephiroth showed up—it meant something terrible was about to happen. Nibelheim, the massacre at Shinra, the Black Materia, Aerith's death, Meteor…

"Was there something you needed, sir?" I forced the words out; in my effort not to stutter, my voice came out sounding flat and neutral. I was going to pretend I hadn't heard the second part. Had he really noticed that I had been deliberately avoiding him?

"Not in particular," he replied, cocking an eyebrow. "Simply investigating an anomaly. I've been told your abilities are beyond that of an ordinary Third."

I felt myself stiffen slightly. Everything about Sephiroth set off warning bells in my head—it felt like talking to Mithos. I was reverting fast into that cold persona I had adopted in the beginning to distance myself from people. Well, why not? If I failed or something went wrong, this man might become my worst nightmare.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but perhaps it would be best to reserve judgment until you see me in action," I replied slowly. The words were polite, but the tone was almost icy. I couldn't help it; I didn't want him to know how nervous and intimidated I was.

"Hm. Aptly put," he said, inclining his head a bit in acknowledgment. "It's good to see the student is a bit more humble than the mentor. Genesis has told me of your exploits."

I nearly grimaced. "Genesis—"

"—Exaggerates," Sephiroth finished for me, amused. "I'm aware. Regardless…you _were _recruited, so the company undoubtedly has some use for you."

Naturally. His words caused me to remember my few meetings with Tseng, and I had to suppress a shudder. Genesis had said something to a similar effect…

_It's important that you remain invaluable to Shinra. You should be thanking me._

If they had no use for me, I'd be dead. But I didn't need Sephiroth to remind me of that. Where was he going with this? Ugh, it just didn't feel right. Part of my brain kept sending out warning signals, but at the same time…there was nothing predatory about his stance. If I hadn't been so freaked out, I might've even cracked a smile at his jab towards Genesis. It was just…a normal conversation. With Sephiroth.

Too weird. Almost on instinct, I kept the defenses up—better to be safe than sorry.

Unsure of what to say, I offered a simple "hmm" in response, keeping my expression relatively blank. More Kratos logic: when all else fails, grunt noncommittally. I'd make Sephiroth work for this conversation. Maybe if I was enough of a frigid bitch, he would just get annoyed and walk away and that would be the end of that.

"That scar."

"Eh?" I blinked, caught off-guard, and mentally smacked myself. I just couldn't pull off the unflappable composure.

Sephiroth's expression betrayed nothing. He was way better at this than I was. "On your torso. What is that from?"

I nearly flinched; that had to be the first time a stranger had walked up to me and shot that question out of the blue. It wasn't exactly a conversation starter—not to mention back on Earth I had normally been careful to hide the scar, save for the part on my chin. I didn't bother so much here, but I wasn't used to people pointing it out. I had changed out of my uniform earlier in favor of a black tank top, so some of the lower portion of the scar was visible.

"My father," I blurted out, mainly because I had no idea what else to say other than the near-truth. Then I realized what I had said, and immediately attempted to amend the statement. "Er—training accident. It's a long story. Sir."

Wow, _smooth._ It was way too hard to concentrate with those piercing eyes focused on me. Up close, I could see flecks of green in the irises, though they were dominantly blue; the green still served to make his eyes glow a little stronger than the typical SOLDIER.

He continued to watch me, still difficult to read. "Had the blade been angled just a little differently, it would have severed your jugular. It must have been a severe wound nonetheless—not one that a typical human being could recover from."

_A typical human being. _In other words, not me. I had never really thought about it, but it was true—I never would've survived that injury if not for my Exsphere. But there was no way I could explain that, and I wasn't sure what Sephiroth was getting at; if he was suspicious, I couldn't see it on his face or hear it in his voice. Only his words suggested it. It was like he was only prodding me to see how I would react.

I forced myself not to look away from him, despite my discomfort. "I suppose that makes me atypical."

He paused long enough to pin me with a scrutinizing gaze; it took a lot of effort not to squirm.

"Or perhaps you have access to superior healing magic. Am I wrong?"

"Not exactly," I answered evenly. "Father does have a powerful Restore materia."

Another lie that bordered on truth; Kratos' healing had dug me out of a lot of tough spots, though it wasn't due to a materia. He probably wouldn't even be able to use magic in this world. But what was Sephiroth even getting at?

The general 'hmm'ed, giving me a very familiar look. That stare…I had seen it too many times not to recognize it. He knew or suspected that I was hiding something.

"…I've read the reports from Junon. Genesis was the one to clear your name—why?"

What? My mind reeled at the sudden change of subject and the new problem this presented. What reason had Genesis given the officers? He had never told me. I had never even thought to ask.

That was when my resolve broke; the pressure was too much, and I averted my gaze. "I'm…not sure."

What the hell else could I say? If the day ever came where Sephiroth became an enemy, my _only _advantage would be foreknowledge. Telling him about my curing Genesis would bring up all of those related questions—and unlike Genesis, Sephiroth didn't feel indebted or loyal to me. He wouldn't let those questions go.

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze intensifying; just when I thought my heart was going to stop, though, he relaxed and some of the tension dissipated.

"…Hmph." The faintest of smiles. "An anomaly indeed. I think I'm beginning to understand."

"Sir?" I asked quietly, completely lost.

He began to walk past me, pausing when we came shoulder-to-shoulder.

"I don't know what you did or how you did it," he murmured, "but you have my thanks…for now. Just know that I'll be watching you."

_He knew._

I just stood there, shocked. Next to me, Sephiroth's smile grew, as if my reaction was all the answer he needed—and it probably was. He continued on, passing me by and continuing down the hallway. I remained still, listening to the shifting of leather on leather, wondering where I had screwed up.

"…One more thing."

Sephiroth's voice interrupted my thoughts once more. I raised my head a bit, glancing over my shoulder at him; I didn't trust my almost-shaking knees enough to perform a full turn right now.

"Yes?" Somehow I managed to keep my voice steady.

He was giving me that same troubled look I remembered from the day I'd first encountered him. "Where have I seen you before?"

I frowned, confused. "I…I don't follow, sir."

The general immediately shook his head, turning away once more. "Pay it no mind. Continue with your business."

With that, he continued onward down the hallway. I stood there and stared openly, watching him leave. Only when he was completely out of sight did I turn back and start walking. My legs felt like jelly.

Man…that had been unpleasant. Sephiroth made me nervous as hell…and having him tell me he was going to be watching me wasn't doing much to make me feel better.

I walked to the elevators in a daze. Where had I gone wrong? What the hell had just happened?

Somehow he had deduced that I was the one who had helped Genesis, though I doubted he could prove it. But of course that only raised more questions than answers, so now I was stuck on his radar, which was the _last _thing I needed right now.

And just _what _had he meant by that last question? I was sure he wasn't referring to our first unofficial meeting, because of course he'd remember that. But prior to that…I had never encountered him except those times when I'd held a Playstation controller in my hands. He was a fictional character on Earth…our worlds were linked in that way, yes, but…nobody else had ever had that kind of reaction to me before. It had to be something else.

On that foreboding note, I stepped into the elevator and leaned against the back wall while the doors closed. This was just too much. I just wanted to go forget for a while…

* * *

This time when I entered Foxwoods Tavern, nobody even looked up. I was glad; today had been mentally exhausting. I just headed for an empty booth in the very back corner of the room, away from everyone else, and ordered a beer. It was a stout that reminded me of a Guinness but was, amusingly enough, called Ultros Ale. The bottle even had a picture of an octopus on the label. Heh…I _really _wanted to know how that had come about.

At least the beer was good. Nice and strong, just what I needed. Within a minute or so I felt myself relaxing a bit.

I was still a bit nerved up at the prospect of what I was about to do, but I had pretty much worried myself sick over the course of the day and by now I was almost too exhausted to care. I just wanted to get it done so I could figure out what to do next.

Thankfully the tavern itself wasn't crazy busy, but it wasn't completely empty either. There was just the right amount of background noise and most of the patrons were sitting at the bar out of earshot.

"So you're actually here."

I looked up at the sudden voice, tilting my head slightly as Genesis slid into the booth across from me.

"I said I would be," I replied, taking a sip of my drink.

He eyed it with slight disdain. "_Ultros? _Please stop ingesting that ghastly substance…"

I snorted, using the edge of my glass to hide a grin. "Is it really made of something gross, or are you just being stuck up again?"

"I am not _stuck up,_" he replied indignantly. Just then, the barback brought over a glass of pinot noir. I pressed a hand to my face and laughed.

"Sure, okay. Drink your wine, snob."

Genesis continued to give me the same miffed look for a moment, but then he seemed to get over it and shook his head with a smirk. He lifted the glass of wine to his lips and took a sip, watching me. It was when we both lowered our drinks that the atmosphere sobered.

"So."

I straightened a bit when he spoke, alert. "Yeah?"

"What exactly did you wish to discuss?" he asked, leaning forward. "I certainly hope you haven't kept me in suspense all day over something trivial."

"I wish," I mumbled. I couldn't help it; I rubbed the back of my neck and averted my gaze. To be honest, I still had no idea how I was going to do this.

Genesis smiled slowly. "Good. Perhaps I'll have some of my questions answered after all."

"…Maybe," I replied, letting out a sigh.

There was a pause as I stopped to gather my resolve. I attempted to think through what I was going to say; Genesis waited patiently now that he had an idea of what might be coming, though he was watching my every move in the meantime.

"Look," I said in a lower voice, staring into my beer. After a second I steeled myself and looked up to meet his gaze. "You…you remember that favor you promised me, right?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Well…" I grimaced. "I'd like to use it. I kind of…really need your help."

He grew solemn. "Tell me what you need."

I instinctively looked around, checking the surroundings for any signs that someone was listening in. The other patrons of the bar seemed to be immersed in their own conversations.

"There are no Shinra personnel here. You chose the location well."

He read my mind. I looked up to see Genesis staring intently; there was no trace of smugness or arrogance in his expression now.

"Tell me," he urged.

It was too much. I closed my eyes and took in a breath, letting it out slowly. Well, here goes—no turning back now.

"I need to break into the Science Department."

His eyebrows flew up. Clearly that had been far from what he'd been expecting.

"Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"Because that 'strange materia' you were talking about belongs to me," I explained.

"I see," he murmured, not looking surprised. So he'd suspected it… "Then leave it. They won't be able to trace it back to you."

I shook my head. "That's not why I want it back."

"Oh?"

"You saw what it did to Jace, didn't you?" I pressed, leaning forward a bit. "He was a Third. He stole my bag out of my room and discovered it."

"So it was indeed a SOLDIER…" Genesis' eyes narrowed slightly. "Tell me about this materia."

"It's not materia…not exactly. It's a stone called an Exsphere," I explained. "When properly attached, it amplifies a person's abilities and makes them stronger. That's the whole reason why I could match SOLDIER strength without mako treatments. I removed it when I joined."

"And why were you not similarly effected?" he asked, looking intrigued.

I sighed; this was going to be long-winded. "Exspheres can be harmful to the body if they're attached without a Key Crest—an accessory that inhibits the harmful effects. If you try to remove the stone without a Key Crest attached, your body's internal balance kinda goes haywire."

Staring into my drink for a moment, I pondered what to say next. "…Jace…he just didn't know. I'm sure having mako in you doesn't exactly help matters. And once you turn into a monster, there's not much that can be done to reverse it…" Not without the unicorn horn. And even then, could I have done it? Could I have matched Raine's capabilities? Degradation wasn't quite the same as a complete mutation of the body…

Genesis frowned. "But this 'Exsphere' amplifies human capabilities."

"Yes," I affirmed.

"Meaning if one were to use it correctly…combined with SOLDIER strength, just how powerful would you become?"

I blinked. "I…I'm not sure. I didn't want to risk using it when I didn't know what the effects would be. But Angeal looked winded after fighting Jace."

"Then I presume you're concerned that the Science Department will attempt to recreate this stone," the First said, smiling thinly. "Naturally they will…whether monsters result or not. Shinra is always in pursuit of creating the perfect weapon."

"I know," I murmured. "But there's more to it."

"Do tell," he replied.

"Initially, Exspheres start out powerless. But attaching one to someone without a Key Crest…that causes a parasitic process to begin in which the Exsphere absorbs the person's mana—I mean, their life force. In other words, an Exsphere can't do anything unless it…well…" I gritted my teeth, shaking my head, before forcing myself to look up at Genesis again. "Look, they're made from human lives, okay? The creation of Exspheres would be a price paid in blood."

The glass of wine stopped halfway to his lips. Genesis stared at me, eyebrows raised. After a moment he slowly lowered the glass and folded his hands on the table.

"Neither Hojo nor Hollander would have any qualms about paying such a price," he hissed.

"I know," I said. "That's why I need to get it back and destroy it—like I should've done a long time ago."

Genesis smiled bitterly. "An admirable goal. But not so admirable, I think, when we take into consideration that _you _were using such a stone in the first place. Why?"

I grimaced, looking away. "The people who placed it on me…were trying to find a way to make it stronger. I didn't have a Key Crest initially either. After I escaped from them, I used it to fight against them. I always told myself I'd destroy it afterwards, but…I know, it's stupid."

"I see," he replied quietly.

There was an uncomfortable pause. Genesis swirled the wine around in his glass before taking a drink; he was taking his sweet time. Finally his eyes flitted up to meet mine.

"Since joining SOLDIER, I have been to nearly every city in the world," he remarked, cocking an eyebrow, "and I have never heard of anything like this Exsphere of yours. Yet you're implying not only that there are more than one, but there is also an organization that studies them."

His gaze was piercing. "There are holes in your story. What of your father and brother? How did you know of my degradation and possess the means to heal it? Who _are _you?"

The conversation drew to an abrupt halt as that question hung in the air. There it was—it was out. That question that had plagued me so often in the past. Who was this girl, surrounded by mysteries and secrets and things that just didn't add up? How could anyone ever trust someone like that?

"I…I'm…" I whispered. Suddenly I paused, lifting my beer and taking a long drink. Warmth spread through me from the alcohol, but it did little to make me feel better. Maybe I would need one more beer. Or two. Or five.

Genesis was watching me expectantly. I couldn't just sit here in silence forever.

"Can I really trust you?" I blurted out, feeling genuinely vulnerable. This was crazy. How _could _I trust this man, who had betrayed even his closest friends in the timeline I remembered?

"_Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul_

_Pride is lost_

_Wings stripped away, the end is nigh."_

He fell back on reciting LOVELESS once more, a pensive expression on his face.

"Had you not intervened, I would likely be dead," he continued. "Yes, I would have died nothing more than a lapdog of Shinra, discarded when I outlived my usefulness. But I am no longer so blind—because you gave me a second chance."

The First smiled, but this time the bitter quality to it was absent. "You can trust me. I will never betray you—you have my word."

I stared at him for a long moment, considering. This was too difficult. Earth was safe; I could tell him about Earth. What about Aselia? Too long of a story. But that didn't explain me knowing about degradation—that was getting into my foreknowledge! If that somehow got out to the wrong people, this whole operation could come crashing down on my head and I'd never save Zack or kill Jenova or—

"I need to think," I said abruptly, standing up. Needed to _breathe. _There was no way—

Just as I went to leave, Genesis caught my wrist and held it in a firm grip.

"_My friend, do you fly away now?_

_To a world that abhors you and I?"_

"I can't," I said, realizing I probably sounded completely crazy. "I just—I can't."

"Sit down."

The command in his voice left no room for resistance. I reluctantly slid back into the booth, fidgeting. Genesis stared me down.

"You're not breaking into the Science Department alone," he said. "I won't allow it."

"Genesis—"

"So, naturally, I'm going to help you."

My eyes widened. "You—you are? But what about…"

"I am not your enemy." He leaned forward, still maintaining a grip on my wrist. "Consider this proof. And after this deed is done, I want you to trust me."

I understood. In other words, he wanted answers in exchange for helping me. But wait—that wasn't quite all of it. He didn't know anything solid about me other than the fact that I had saved him…by doing this, he was placing his own trust in me. Trust that what I'd told him was fact, that I wasn't just using him to further my own ends. Considering that Shinra had done just that to him in the past…this was kind of big.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Why was he doing this? Could my actions really have been that important? Or…was this Angeal's sense of honor showing through in his best friend?

"O-Okay." I cursed myself for stuttering, but managed to meet his eyes. "If we can pull this off, I'll tell you. I'll…I'll trust you."

Finally he released my wrist, leaning back. "Good. Then I suppose I'll have to endure being in the dark for now." He turned, catching the bartender's attention, and gestured to our near-empty glasses.

The barback brought over another round. I raised my eyebrows at Genesis, and he smirked.

"Now then…let's get to conspiring."

I couldn't help it; despite my apprehension at the prospect, I snorted. Suddenly I was very grateful for that second beer. The night was far from over…

* * *

**A/N: Apologies if there's any typos or spelling errors; it's late and attempting to proofread just isn't working out. If anything's wrong, I'll fix it in the morning.**

**Not sure how I feel about this chapter. It didn't really come easily (especially not the conversation with Sephiroth, DEAR GOD.) Hopefully everyone was in-character. Meh, maybe I'll like it better when I'm not feeling so exhausted from writing it. XD Didn't get as far as I thought I would, but that's okay.**

**Plot? What plot? Ha, seriously though, it's coming-the main plot, anyway. This is kind of slow-building story because CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. So many people to meet. Just keep an eye out for Cloud-he's where it really starts. Soon, guys!**

**On another note, I'm sure the Exsphere explanation cleared up a few questions for any of you who haven't read NR/played ToS. XD or maybe it just made you more confused? I don't know. **

**Reviews are very much appreciated! You guys keep me going!**

**Next time: GIVE ME BACK MY EXSPHERE DAMMIT**


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